Shirayuki Hime
by Arden Tenjou
Summary: A Bleach version of Snow White. Rukia is Snow White, Byakuya is her prince. The Huntsman is a somewhat tortured Renji, and the villain of the vain Queen will be played by Yumichika. Various other characters will pop up in minor roles. Byakuya x Rukia.
1. Chapter 1

I know it's confusing, but try to get past the gender ambiguity. There aren't that many good female characters in Bleach.

…

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 1

In a cold kingdom, there once lived a happy family. King Ukitake, and his wife and child. The king's first wife, Kaien, had died in childbirth. When the king chose a new queen, he made sure to choose someone beautiful, so that his daughter would have a feminine influence. The new queen was certainly beautiful, thought by many to be the most beautiful in the kingdom. He was called Yumichika. And while the king was alive, Yumichika was loyal and kind, and cared dutifully for the princess.

But the king was sickly. He often went out to defend their kingdom, in the freezing cold, and paid no heed to his doctors' warnings. Then one day, when the princess was still a child, he died. The queen was desolate. For almost two days after the king's death, he sat by his bedside, and screamed at anyone who tried to enter the room or touch his body. Finally, it was the little princess who comforted him, and soothed him, in spite of her own grief. From that moment on, the queen hated her down to her very soul.

The princess was somewhat homely as a child. But she had dark, raven hair, and pure white skin, like freshest snowfall on a moonlit night. Her given name was Rukia, but most of the kingdom's subjects called her Shirayuki Hime, Princess Snow White.

In the queen's grief, he turned all his attention to the pursuit of beauty, which King Ukitake had often praised him for. In his mind, it was the only thing that he had over Princess Rukia, his one remaining mark of Ukitake's love. To that purpose, he acquired a magic mirror, which would tell him unfailingly whether he was indeed the fairest in the kingdom.

Princess Rukia grew, and soon her gawky figure evened out, and though she was still slim, she soon had a pleasant shape. She also remained small, petite, yet always a little indelicate, or perhaps masculine. It was likely this aspect which blinded the queen's eye for so long. Her eyes became large and black, and undoubtedly charming. Her mouth remained small, like her nose, and her cheeks took on the gentlest flush of pink. Before anyone realized it, she had made her way into puberty, and no one would contend now that she was beautiful.

Queen Yumichika gradually became aware of Princess Rukia, but remained a dutiful mother, at least in appearance. Then one day, the queen stood before his magic mirror, and asked the same question he always did.

"Mirror, mirror, in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"

The vague face behind the glass replied in its deep, distorted voice, "My Queen. You are the fairest here, so 'tis true. But Snow White, by a thousand times, is fairer than you."

Yumichika's face drained of color. For him, it was as if he had been told his existence was meaningless. That was the end. That was the end of Rukia's peaceful existence in the same castle, in the same world as him. She needed to suffer, and not just for this, but for her original crime, the reason Yumichika could never forgive her. That she had loved Ukitake as much, or more, than he, and still had accepted his death. For this, Yumichika felt he might never be satisfied, no matter how much pain she suffered.

So Yumichika made a plan. And he called forth the only person who was suitable for the task.

On a chilly day in autumn, the royal huntsman was called before the queen. He knelt before her throne and dutifully bowed his head. "Your Majesty. I have come as you summoned me."

Yumichika smiled. That smile now only barely concealed the pain and hate. "It's nice to see you, Renji. You don't come around to the castle much these days."

The redheaded huntsman looked up hesitantly. "No, Your Majesty," he said slowly. "Princess Rukia and I are no longer children. It would not be appropriate."

"Well, there is some truth in that. But I hope that you and I, at least, can become good friends after this."

Renji looked up with confusion. "Your Majesty?"

Yumichika smiled like the cat that got the canary. "I have a task for you, Huntsman."

Renji lowered his head dutifully again. "Yes, Your Majesty. Whatever you wish, if it is in my power."

"Kill Snow White."

The huntsman froze. Slowly, his gaze rose to meet the eyes of the queen, disbelief streaked across his features. His breathing grew labored, his lips parting as he continued to stare, unable to find his voice. He knew, as did all present, that the queen was perfectly serious. "Your Majesty," he said at last, in a quiet, plaintive voice. "I…I cannot…"

Yumichika's smile had not faded. "Hm? Interesting. But you must be aware that if you say that…" he flicked a single finger forward, and two men stepped from the shadows behind him. "…my brothers may take issue. In fact I'm almost certain they will. Right, Kenpachi, Ikkaku?"

The infamous brothers of the queen stepped forward. One, at least eight feet tall and covered in scars, glared down at him through one eye, while the other was covered with an ominous eye patch. On the queen's opposite side was a muscle-bound man with a shaved head, and a wicked grin that almost reached his ears. He tapped his long, three section spear-staff against his shoulder as if itching to use it.

The huntsman trembled. He was not a coward, but these two men were clearly out of his realm of understanding. They only craved blood, for no other reason than because they loved to fight. He did fear them. But they were not his problem right now.

He resolutely lowered his gaze, trying to quell the trembling in his hands. "Even so, my queen, I…"

Yumichika's smile faded for a moment. Then it came back with even stronger fervor. "You know, somehow I really hoped you'd say that." He rose gracefully from his chair and lithely approached the kneeling Renji, knowing he would not run. The queen was an expert in demon magic, and as he walked, something began to glow with azure light around his left hand. "You will take Princess Rukia into the woods. You will slice open her chest. You will bring me her heart. And you will be happy to serve me in doing this."

Renji's eyes opened wide in panic, and he belatedly thought to run. "No…Your Majesty, please…"

Yumichika yanked his head back by his hair, and raised his left hand over him. "Open your eyes. Keep them wide open." He grinned. "I can't tell you how many times this spell has fried someone's brains, when they weren't paying attention." He covered Renji's face with his hand.

"Ah…AAAAAHHH!"

…

Rukia gasped awake in her bed. She thought for sure she'd heard a scream. Her heart pounded for a few moments, and then eventually slowed. "Maybe it was only in my dream…"

She yawned and stretched, rising to see the sun shining in her window. She smiled. The past few days, she had been cooped up in her tower, so little things got her through the day. Still, it was odd. Usually, when the queen was angry about something, he tried to cover it up for a while, but eventually took it out on Rukia. This was the first time the queen had forbidden her to leave her room. Rukia was somewhat concerned. Yumichika tried to hold in a lot of things, and though Rukia often tried to get him to talk about it, she got the sense that she wasn't the right one for him to talk to.

She went to her window, letting in the brisk morning air, and got herself dressed. No sooner had she done so than she heard a knock on her door. "Yes?" she said.

There was a pause. Then a soft voice, "Rukia."

Her face brightened. "Renji! How did you get in here?" She immediately ran an opened the door, trying to be harsh with him, but just too happy to do so. "You're going to be in big trouble. You c-…Renji?"

Renji looked as if he hadn't slept. His eyes were bloodshot and avoiding her gaze. He had some stubble coming and his cheeks were sunken.

"Ren…ji?" Rukia asked softly.

Finally, he looked at her. He smiled, but it was one of the saddest smiles she'd ever seen. "I've come to bust you out for a while."

Still unsure, Rukia slowly shook her head and murmured, "I can't. I don't know what Yumichika would do to you if I did."

"It's all right actually, I was just joking," he said, his gaze growing distant again. "I talked to him for a bit. He says it's fine." He hesitantly looked at her again. "All the same, we should go now, before he changes his mind."

Rukia felt a deep, underlying fear somehow. But she didn't want to miss a chance to talk to Renji, so she grabbed her cloak and some thick boots and followed him out of the castle. Soon, she was starting to wonder where they were going. He wasn't saying anything, or laughing and joking as he normally would, just walking steadily toward the woods. He was walking at his pace too, not hers, so she was having to jog sometimes to keep up.

"Renji," she said, at length. "You can talk to me if something's wrong. We don't have to come all the way out here."

"It's not that," he said. Now, he seemed to have dropped his earlier attempts to seem civil, his expression dreadfully pained and his tone dark.

"Renji…" Rukia murmured. "Then please tell me why you look so sad."

This only seemed to deepen the lines of pain over his face, and he did not answer. They entered the woods, and still kept walking. Rukia was silent then, deciding that Renji would answer when he needed to, and if just being with her was helping him somewhat, then she would do that. But suddenly, Renji stopped walking.

He stood there silently for many long seconds, and Rukia was a little behind him, so she couldn't see his face. She was about to speak when he moved. With a trembling hand, he reached for the knife in his belt.

Sudden fear shot through Rukia's chest. Renji had taught her most of what she knew about fighting and hunting. Seeing him draw his weapon was nothing new to her. So why was she so terrified? She had to ask herself, because it didn't make any sense. It was Renji. No matter what was wrong, he'd never do something to hurt her. Never. Never. So why…

"Rukia…" Renji said. His whole body was trembling, and it was clear he was speaking through gritted teeth. "Run…run, please, Rukia. Run, and don't ever come back here…run, Rukia…DAMN IT, RUN!"

He whirled around with his knife in a gutting grip. The whole scene was frozen for an instant. Renji's frightening voice had caused her to take several steps back, but she was in momentary disbelief. Both that he had turned his blade on her, and more importantly, at the desperate sadness in his eyes as he did. A tear dripped down Rukia's cheek. She knew in an instant there was nothing she could do.

She turned and raced away from him as fast as her legs would carry her, which was still not fast enough if he was serious. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be following. Still, her legs would not stop. She sobbed loudly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She had lost her only friend.

She didn't know what had happened to Renji, but whatever it was, the result was the same. She had lost her home, her best friend, her only family, although in the back of her mind she was starting to suspect what had made Renji act this way. It was a bit suspicious how easily they were able to leave the castle. This certainly wasn't Renji's own nature. The pain on his face. It was terrible. Rukia's heart felt like it was being torn apart over and over, as she kept picturing the pain and fear in his eyes.

Please, she prayed to herself. Father, protect me. I don't want to die.

Shameful though it was, and much though she was terribly worried about Renji, she had never felt fear like this before. She couldn't stop crying. For a sheltered girl like her to have her life threatened and then lose her home in one instant, her mind could barely cope. She just kept running and running, scratching her legs as her dress was caught in thickets, scratching her arms and face as she ran through low branches. Twice she stepped into swamp water, not even feeling the cold at first. She might have been running a full hour. But finally, as her tears started to fade, along with her strength, her consciousness started to as well. Still sobbing slightly, though she was stumbling and her eyelids drooping, she crept underneath a fairly dry, hollowed-out fallen tree. Emotional and physical exhaustion soon took their toll, and brought her to an uneasy rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 2

Renji came back to the castle feeling barely alive. His hands and some of his clothing and even his face were stained with blood. In his hand he held a small burlap pouch, which dripped a terrifying trail as he walked. He was unhindered as he approached the portcullis, then the massive doors to the main keep, and finally the grand hall where Queen Yumichika was waiting.

The queen's earlier glee seemed to have cooled. He watched Renji approach with obvious nervous anticipation. Yumichika's eyes followed the small sack's arc through the air as Renji tossed it to his feet. It landed with a disgusting squish, and a splatter of blood.

Yumichika made a face. "How vulgar."

Renji was trembling now from head to foot. "I have done what you bade me. Please release me."

Yumichika watched him for a moment. He glanced down at the item. Then he gestured briefly behind him. "Ikkaku."

The shorter brother approached and picked up the sack. He opened it, examined the contents, and then showed them to the queen. Yumichika observed for a moment, and then relief washed over his features. "Finally," he said, holding his head in his hand for a moment. "That weight is off my shoulders." He sighed, leaning back in his throne. "Oh, Renji. You've done very well." Yumichika unhooked a small pouch from his belt and tossed it onto the floor before Renji. It fell with a heavy clinking sound. "Not a bad price for your trouble, I think."

Renji looked at the money as if he was seeing evil itself. A tear rolled down his face. And then two, and three. He closed his eyes, trying to stem the tide, but it was of little use. "I don't want money. Please release me."

Yumichika narrowed his eyes at him briefly. Eventually he sighed again. "Have it your way." He snapped his fingers.

A cloud of azure mist slowly drew itself from Renji's temple and came to rest back at Yumichika's fingertips before growing quiet there again. Renji collapsed to the ground, sobbing. "Rukia…" Renji whispered, gritting his teeth.

Yumichika slammed his hand against the arm of his throne. "That's enough, Renji. I've had enough of you. I've released you, our deal is done. Now a grown man is sobbing and getting blood all over my floor. Get out. Don't come back, while you're at it."

"Is it okay to leave him alive, Yumichika?" asked Ikkaku.

Kenpachi cracked his neck and worked his shoulder. "He looks like he'd last a good thirty seconds. Would do for a warm-up. Let's kill him anyway."

Renji slowly rose up from the floor, honestly not caring at that moment what they decided to do with him.

"You two, I swear," Yumichika said with another sigh. "He's the best hunter in the kingdom, probably, and apart from the three of us, the best fighter too. If we go around killing all the best warriors in the kingdom, we'd have a kingdom of weaklings. Do you want that?"

"No…" Ikkaku grumbled with obvious disappointment.

"Kenpachi?"

The giant let out a big sigh. Then he scratched the back of his neck and turned around. "Whatever. You're such a bore, Yumichika."

"As the case may be, but I am the fucking queen, so shut it. In any case, Renji, you're free to go. In other words, get the fuck out and stop de-beautifying my castle."

Renji really wasn't listening. He had already turned and started walking. Now that he wasn't fighting that other voice inside his head, walking was much easier. However he felt so drained, he wasn't going very fast. He prayed his rouse would last, at least until Rukia could get somewhere safe. Fortunately, the queen and her brothers were fooled by the boar's heart he gave them. More tears came, and he didn't even try to hold them back.

Much though that was supposed to be a performance to trick the queen into thinking the princess was dead, none of it was acting. Rukia might still die, left alone in the woods, and the fact was, he would likely never see her again. Suddenly, Renji gasped. Never see her again? Wait…what was he thinking?

As he crossed the portcullis, following the dirt road that led to the town, he picked up speed, hope beginning to build in his heart. He'd find her. He'd protect her. It was probably going to cost him his life anyway, as soon as Yumichika figured it out. In that case, why not die protecting her?

Renji went to his home, and immediately set about packing for a long journey. He didn't take much food, knowing he could live off the land fairly easily, but he did take more weapons than usual. He didn't leave right away, much though he wanted to. The most important thing was that no one know what he was doing, and especially to avoid people following him. Fortunately, both for Rukia and himself, he was the best tracker for miles around. It would take a wolf, or a man raised like one, to be able to track him. In the dead of night, he left his home, and never intended to come back.

…

Rukia was awakened in a way she never had been before. She felt something jabbing her butt. Once she realized she was awake, she jumped and turned around to see what was doing the jabbing. What she found was a short, blonde girl with pigtails, holding a stick, and staring down at her like she'd stepped in shit.

"Kid," she said, irritably. "You're on my patch. What do you think you're doing out here?"

Rukia was in total disbelief about everything that had just been said to her.

"Hiyori?" came a young male voice from a few hundred yards away. "What did you find over there?"

"Some dog shit!" she called back, confirming Rukia's suspicion about her opinion of her.

"What do you mean 'dog shit' ?" came the male voice again. "What dogs have you ever seen out here?"

"Whee! A dog! I'm going to go see!"

"Come on now, Yachiru-chan, don't always go rushing off into dangerous places."

"Man. Why did you guys wake me? I'm never going to get any taller. Let me sleep."

"Wait! I can't find my – OHPH!"

"Yay! Hana fell in the mud! Yay, yay!"

Slowly, Rukia got to her knees so she could see the people who belonged to the voices approaching. To her surprise, they appeared to all be children. The one who'd been speaking to the blond girl was a young boy with slick, black hair and glasses. The one making a ruckus was a pink-haired girl; she seemed to be the youngest. The one trying to control her was a boy with long, wavy blond hair and a thin face. The one picking himself up out of the mud was a very plain-looking boy, with very ordinary black hair parted in the middle and a vaguely pathetic air about him. At the back were two more; one white-haired boy who was yawning, and one who hadn't spoken. Unsurprising, since he was wearing a garment that covered everything but his eyes. What a diverse group, Rukia thought to herself.

"You're thinking we're all short," said the girl called Hiyori.

Rukia blinked. "No…maybe young, but…"

"Well I'm not young!" cried the girl. "And neither are those two!" she indicated the boy with white hair, who glared at her, and surprisingly also the girl with pink hair. "We're short, so just get over it!"

"Uh…Hiyori-chan? Why are you scaring that girl there?" asked the blond boy.

"Don't give me '-chan', pipsqueak! I've told you, I'm older than you, Rose!" She turned back to Rukia. "They're both 18, I'm 20, we're adults. We're never getting any taller. Got that?!"

"I'm getting taller, dipshit," the white-haired boy growled.

Rukia blinked. "Sure…well, I'm short too, so I understand…"

That caused the blond girl to pause. She watched cautiously as Rukia hesitantly got to her feet. Rukia walked over to her, using the flat of her hand to judge the difference in height. "I suppose I'm a little taller. But not by much."

The blond girl stared at her for a few seconds. Then she snarled with a blush. "What?! You trying to get on my good side or something?!"

Then, with no provocation, some tears dripped down Rukia's cheeks. All the others went silent.

"Hiyori!" cried the boy with glasses. "Look what you've done!"

"I-I didn't do it!"

Rukia nodded. "No, she's right." Then she started sobbing, unable to hold it back anymore. "I'm sorry…could you tell me where I am?"

After some discussion amongst themselves, they agreed (or rather Hiyori got tired of arguing) to bring Rukia to their home, which wasn't far. Even though she tried, she wasn't able to stop crying the whole way. The boy with glasses was kind enough to hold her hand as they went, and the blond boy patted her shoulder comfortingly, while the plain boy looked on worriedly.

They soon arrived at a hut, which was a little small for seven people, Rukia thought absently. But then, they were small people. They brought her inside to a large table, where obviously they normally had their dinner. The blond boy prepared her some tea and sat down next to her with a smile.

"Why don't you tell us about it, my dear?"

"Kh!" scoffed Hiyori irritably.

Rukia thanked him for the tea and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude, much less disturb the whole household. I don't even know your names."

The boy with glasses pushed them up his face a bit. "Well. You met Sarugaki Hiyori," he nodded to the blond girl, now sitting at the farthest possible place in the room from Rukia. "Although Yachiru likes to call her 'Grumpy'. Can't imagine why," he added under his breath, provoking Hiyori to vaguely spit on the floor in his direction. He merely pushed his glasses up a bit more. "I'm Ishida Uryuu."

"Also known as 'Doc'," Rose added cheerfully.

Rukia considered. "Why?" she asked.

There was a moment of general confusion. "Uh…" said the plain boy. "Because…he looks smart?"

"Because I _am_ smart, you dunce."

The blond boy addressed her again with a soft smile. "And I'm Outoribashi Roujuurou. Also called 'Rose' ."

"Also called 'Wheezy'."

"And 'Sneezy'."

The others laughed, eager to participate. Rose looked a little embarrassed, but still smiled. "I think they do that because my nickname is 'Rose' ," he said, chuckling a little.

"Or rather because there are always rumors about him," said the white-haired boy, almost as disinterested as Hiyori. "You see him sneezing more often than anyone else does."

"I have allergies!"

"That gloomy guy who looks and talks like an old man is Hitsugaya Toushirou," said Ishida.

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched.

"He's a sleepyhead! So we call him 'Sleepy'!" said the pink-haired girl, suddenly leaping into Rukia's lap. Rukia jumped at first, then she softly smiled. She rarely got to spend time with girls her own age. Somehow it was washing away some of her pain.

"And what's your name?" Rukia asked.

"Yachiru. You can call me 'Happy' if you like. But be careful when you use it, I might just hate your guts." Her smile as she said this had a hint of murderous intent in it.

Rukia tried to smile but tilted her head slightly, not sure if that was a threat. "I see. I'll just call you 'Yachiru-chan' then."

"Fair enough," she said, grinning.

"Oi, Hanatarou. Nova. Come introduce yourselves," said Ishida.

The one with the head-covering shook his head resolutely. Seeing this, the plain boy hesitantly stepped forward. "My name is Yamada Hanatarou."

"How hard to remember!" Rukia said, trying to restrain her volume.

"Huh? Everyone says it's easy to remember. See? Because it's so common."

Rukia considered, resting her chin in her hand. "Yes, well… 'Yamada Tarou' would be easy to remember. Sticking 'Hana' in there just makes it confusing." She shook herself, realizing she was being extremely rude. "I'm sorry, I'll try to remember."

Hanatarou chuckled sadly. "Well…you don't really have to remember. I'm such a klutz, everyone just calls me 'Dopey'."

Rukia suddenly felt a bit of pity for him. "I can remember 'Hanatarou'."

Hanatarou blushed a little with his smile.

"Nova…" said Rose, glancing at him. "Come on, sweetheart. Come over and say hello."

Nova considered for a moment. Then shook his head defiantly, and in the end he closed a zipper that Rukia just noticed over his eyes, and now his whole head was obscured.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Guess what we call him."

Rukia thought for a moment. With absolutely no ill intent she said, "Um… 'Casanova' ?"

Total silence met the room for about three seconds. Then it exploded with laughter. Even Hiyori snorted, covering her mouth to hide her grin. Nova turned away and sat on the floor, facing the wall.

"Wait!" Rukia tried to interject. "It's 'Nova', isn't it? I'm sorry, Nova. Please turn around."

Nova didn't move for a moment. Eventually, slowly, he turned around. But neither did he stand nor unzip his eyes. "The correct answer is 'Bashful'," Rose said, looking at him with a compassionate smile. Then he turned to Rukia. "Now you know us. May we ask your name?"

Rukia felt she might cry again. Hesitantly, she managed, "My name is Rukia."

"Interesting," said Ishida. "The same name as the princess? Your parents must be fairly bold types."

Rukia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "It's not the same name as the princess," she said softly.

They all looked a bit stumped by that. "Not to be rude," said Rose. "But I'm pretty sure it is."

"…because I am the princess."

There was a moment of silence and then Yachiru grinned at her. "We've picked up a weirdo."

"No…wait," said Hanatarou, hesitantly coming closer. "Look at her. 'Hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow' . Besides, only royals have muslin boots nowadays."

A moment of awkward silence passed. Then Yachiru gave a dangerous grin. The next moment, she attached herself to Rukia's midsection and started pulling her hair in opposite directions. "I hate her!" Yachiru said, still smiling.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Yachiru-chan!" Rose cried in panic, and he, Ishida and Hanatarou all tried to get a hold of Yachiru. The girl proved surprisingly hard to catch. Eventually, it was Nova who managed to disentangle her, and stood there holding her by her armpits, while Yachiru continued to smile dangerously.

Rose sighed, rearranging his hair, which Yachiru also managed to get a hold of at one point. "Sorry about that…Rukia-chan," he said, still glancing at her with a hint of doubt. "It's just, there's a reason seven unrelated kids are all working together like this."

"A royal, huh?" said Hiyori, finally joining the conversation. "I knew there was something I didn't like about her." She finally came over and slammed her hand on top of the table, knocking over Rukia's tea. Rukia flinched and looked up at her in fear. "Go on. Ask Yachiru why she hates you. Ask what happened to her parents."

"Hiyori-san…" said Hanatarou, fearfully touching her arm.

She shook him off. "Go ahead. Ask her."

Ishida cleared his throat. "Rukia-san. While there is a reason Hiyori and Yachiru may dislike you, it is certainly nothing you have done personally. Your step-mother, on the other hand…"

Rose gave a complicated smile. "Every one of us is an orphan." Rukia's eyes widened. "Either through war, or the constant famine and disease in the town, we have all lost our parents. And one way or another, you could say the cause for that lies with the queen."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Hiyori, Yachiru and I are all old enough to remember the days when the king was alive. He was a very good man, wise and compassionate. His death was a great loss to this kingdom."

Rukia felt herself tearing up again.

"Are you all stupid?" asked Hiyori loudly. "She may not be the one who caused this, but she's still the daughter of that tyrant. A rat's daughter is still a rat."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Rukia said, softly.

All eyes turned to look at her. Eventually, Nova softly placed Yachiru back on the ground.

"All this time, I've been blindly believing that Queen Yumichika had the country's best interests at heart. After all, he loved my father so dearly… But famine…disease…I never imagined this. I have no words that can possibly ease your pain." Slowly, she met Hiyori's eyes. "But…if you have been wronged by the queen, then we have something in common."

They all seemed taken aback for a moment, and then Rose asked her softly, "Rukia-chan. Can you tell us why were you in the woods alone?"

Rukia couldn't help it. She started to cry again, though she gallantly held back from making noise.

"Oh…hey, now," Rose said, holding her around her shoulders. "You don't have to say. The point is, you've been wronged by the queen too, right? In that case, this must be fate. You belong with us."

"What?!" cried Hiyori.

"I have a problem too, actually," said Hitsugaya irritably. "Does she look like she can mine? What good will she be, except to eat our food and laze around our cottage."

"In fairness, Hitsugaya-kun," said Ishida. "You don't look like a miner either. Well, Rukia-san," he said, turning to her. "Do you have any useful skills?"

Rukia glanced around, thinking nervously. "I don't think so. I mean, I can do chores and cook, but…"

"You can cook?!" the whole group chorused. All but Hiyori suddenly gathered around her.

Rukia blinked in surprise. "I can, but…do you mean none of you knows how to cook?"

Hanatarou was nearly in tears with emotion. "Real food…we can eat real food!"

"Yay, yay!" said Yachiru. Apparently all was forgiven.

Rose clasped her hands in both of his. "You're hired. If you cook for us, you can stay as long as you like."

"Agreed," said Ishida.

Hitsugaya and Nova both nodded.

Several gazes now turned to Hiyori. She was tapping her foot impatiently. Finally, she pointed a rude finger at Rukia. "One step wrong," she shouted. "One wrong move, and I'll drop you like a sack of potatoes. Got that, Ojou-sama?!"

Rukia nodded fervently. "But…I don't deserve such kindness. Merely cooking for you can never repay my gratitude for saving me at this dreadful hour."

Ishida coughed, trying to hide a blush. "You need hardly worry yourself. We have long work days, and no one likes to cook. Not to mention we're all awful at it. As proof of that, Hiyori seems to have accepted you even though she obviously dislikes you. See? You would be more help than you realize."

Rukia considered this for a time. Then she smiled up at him sadly. "If you really don't mind, I will be forever in your debt."

She cooked dinner for them that night, and everyone fell into a satisfied sleep. Due to lack of beds, Rukia slept restlessly in a rocking chair.

True to their word, the children's work day was long. Hiyori had kicked her awake before dawn, saying they would be leaving soon and needed some food. Rukia hurried to the dining area and did her best to whip up some oatmeal, fried eggs and toast. While the children were eating, and all unusually silent but for yummy sounds, Rukia also made up some sandwiches. She handed them to each worker as they were leaving.

"What's this?" Hiyori demanded.

Rukia blinked. "Um…lunch. I'm not coming with you to the mine, am I?"

"Lunch?" asked Yachiru and Hanatarou, tilting their heads in confusion.

"It's a midday meal, you idiots," Hiyori barked.

"Yay! We can eat in the middle of the day, too!" Yachiru cried, bouncing around happily.

"What a nice idea, Rukia-chan," said Rose. He reached out and kissed her hand. "We have quite a lucky find in you."

"Rose, you're fraying my last nerve!" Hiyori cried, kicking him in the butt to get him to move along. "And you, Ojou-sama!" she shouted, pointing at her again. "Of course I don't need to tell you that it's stupid to leave this house on your own. Do I?!"

Ishida and Rose snorted with laughter. "Hiyori's warming up to you," Rose said, which earned him another kick, and he, Hiyori and Ishida went out the door.

"You're not a useless jerk after all!" said Yachiru, with that strange, aggressive happiness of hers.

Hanatarou bowed. "We're very grateful."

Rukia couldn't help bowing in return. "My pleasure."

Hitsugaya yawned. "You've already made yourself useful, so don't worry too much what Hiyori and Yachiru say. Be careful, and remember, don't leave the house."

Then they were gone, all but Nova. Rukia blinked. He stood before her, eyes on the ground, holding his sandwich tightly against him. He seemed to want to speak, but instead he merely blushed. Finally, he managed a bow, and then ran away after the others. Rukia stood in the doorway and watched them leave. Somehow, she felt a profound warmness in her heart as she watched them. They continued to bicker even as they walked, all carrying pickaxes, even little Yachiru. Rukia couldn't help a soft smile that met her lips.

She went back inside and started cleaning. Though she didn't have much experience, she knew basically what was what. It didn't take long to tidy the whole house. Then she decided to do some laundry. She found most of the things she needed quite readily, although she had to go to the outhouse to find soap. She decided to convince her hosts to invest in bathing facilities. She pumped some water from a spigot into a large wooden tub, and drew out a washing line. Then she set to washing their clothes and linens, and drying them in the soft sun that came through the bare tree branches.

…

In a neighboring kingdom, there was once a happy couple. A young prince, and his wife. The woman was a commoner in comparison, but the prince defied his parents and his country's laws and married her anyway. Still, the kingdom could not have hope for a more graceful or kind princess. The couple spent five happy years together.

Then one day, in the spring of their fifth year of marriage, the princess' long-suffering illness finally caught up with her. The prince was overwhelmed with grief, and vowed never to marry again. He devoted himself to becoming a resplendent prince, and soon became the embodiment of honor of their kingdom. Still, he needed an escape sometimes. Especially from his father, who continued to pressure him to remarry.

The prince had taken to long rides, going farther and farther from his father's castle each time. One day, he found himself unknowingly crossing into a neighboring kingdom. But while there, his horse took a bad turn, and Prince Byakuya was thrown off. He landed on a large rock, and felt a sickening crunch in his shoulder as he did so. He gritted his teeth and sat up to look at the damage. A sharp edge in the rock had cut deeply into his upper arm, and blood was flowing determinedly down his arm. His shoulder was badly bruised and may even have become dislocated. It certainly hurt enough, although his face at the time was cold and emotionless as ever. He decided it would be dangerous to leave it like this, but he was too far from his father's house to get proper care. He remounted his horse, and tried to search for some help nearby.

…

Rukia was nearly done with the washing when she heard a horse approaching. She froze, not knowing if it was a royal soldier. Even if it wasn't, there was a reason they had told her not to leave the house. She got ready to run inside if she had to.

"Pardon me," said a soft, deep voice from atop the horse. "I've taken a fall from my horse. May I…"

The man stopped talking as Rukia turned to look at him. Both people looked at one another as if they'd seen a ghost. Rukia, because she'd never seen a man so beautiful. He had long black hair which reached his shoulders, some of which was bound in a loose clip at the top of his head, though some bangs on either side were left free. He had large, black eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, and his skin was nearly as white as hers. He was so handsome. He rode a black Friesian horse with a long, luxurious mane, and clothed himself in fine, white and gray silk. However, it was interrupted by a huge amount of blood down his sleeve.

Rukia gasped. She was about to offer help when the man's lips began to move.

"Hisa…na…" he murmured. With that, his body went slack, and he slipped from his saddle to the hard ground.

"Oh!" Rukia cried. She would have called his name but of course she did not know it. She ran over to him to check for signs of life. Fortunately he was still breathing. She looked into his beautiful face and could not resist brushing back a few stray hairs of his bangs. "Who are you?" she murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 3

Being raised so protected, Rukia had no sense of danger as she brought the man into the cottage and laid him out on a bed. This simple task, by the way, was neither easy nor quick. She tried all sorts of ways to carry him, as he was easily three times her size, but in the end settled for wrapping her arms around his chest from behind and dragging him inch by inch along the ground.

As she was doing so, during a particularly forceful pull, she felt something pop in his shoulder. She froze. Had she done that? Was it like that already? Nevertheless, she couldn't stop now. Finally, with a last effort, she got him into a bed. He was too large for it by far, and his wounded arm flopped over the side, his feet sticking out at the bottom. Rukia crumpled to the floor for a few moments, panting and exhausted. At length, she looked up at him from where she sat. She was amazed he hadn't woken through all of that. She continued to watch him silently. He was so beautiful. And yet, despite the coldness of his features, every now and then the slightest amount of pain seemed to flicker there. Rukia was pondering it, and then she gasped. His injuries!

She leapt up to look for bandages and alcohol, and also a needle, silk thread and matches. She knew what to do, from the many times her father had come home injured when she was a child, but her hands were still shaking. She wasn't thinking at all how inappropriate it was that she was undressing a strange man while she was at home alone. She took off his jerkin and set it aside. She swallowed. The wound on his arm was very bloody. Of course, there were shallow wounds that bled a lot too. She wouldn't know until she'd cleaned it up a bit. Also, she thought, she didn't blame him for fainting after losing this much blood.

She ran out quickly to gather some water from the spigot into a bowl. She came back and wetted a rag with it, then carefully began to wipe off the blood. It took some time, but once she had, she sighed with relief. It was of the latter kind of wound; bloody, but shallow. It was still bleeding as she worked. She bit her lip. She dipped a clean rag in the alcohol. She raised it above the wound. She glanced at his face to make sure he was unconscious, closed her eyes tight, and pressed it into the wound.

The man stirred, and gradually a soft cry of pain came from him, and he opened his eyes. He was gritting his teeth and sweating, clearly holding back his voice. He looked hard at Rukia in disbelief. Then he murmured the same name as before. "Hisana?" he asked in a soft, pained voice.

Rukia blinked, not knowing how to react, and accidentally touched the wound with her finger. He winced and closed his eyes tight against the pain. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Rukia said. "There, the alcohol's done its job, that was the worst of the pain. Although…I still have to stitch you up…But don't worry about that! I'm sure it'll be fine!"

He was staring at her again. He wore a difficult expression, which held both sadness and longing, although also confusion. Gradually, as he looked at her more closely, most of these emotions faded, and at last he turned away. "No, of course you're not," he muttered, apparently speaking mostly to himself. "I apologize. You look…very much like someone I once knew."

"Oh…" said Rukia. Not really knowing why, her chest somehow felt tight when she heard this. Nevertheless, she reached for the needle and matches. "I'm very sorry, this is going to hurt. Not as bad as the alcohol, but it'll take longer."

The man merely turned away, seeming to have lost interest in the whole affair. His eyes again grew cold, and seemed lost, far away.

Rukia watched him with pity, then forced herself to concentrate. She lit a match and held it above the needle until it was pliable. As best she could, she gave it a slight curve. She threaded it, then touched the whole thing lightly with the alcohol. "Here goes…" she said, barely stopping her hands from shaking. For the first puncture, the man flinched a little, but Rukia was amazed that he made no further reaction. She had seen her father's soldiers wailing and pounding their fists in pain during this same process. She completed the first stich and tied it securely before moving on.

"I…I won't put them very close together," she said, knowing her voice was shaking. "So…when you get home you can have your own doctor see to it. I'm sure that'll be best."

The man's eyes flicked briefly her way, then back into the empty space ahead of him.

"Umm…" she murmured, making the second stitch. "I'm sure it'll go faster if we talk," she said hesitantly. "My name's Rukia. What's yours?"

The man closed his eyes. "Byakuya," he said at length.

"Byakuya…" Rukia murmured. The name sounded so beautiful to her, like everything else about this man. "How strange that I've never heard the name before," she murmured, thinking that if he was a noble she should at least know who his family was.

"My home is many miles from here, on the other side of the forest," he said, engaging with her at last. "It's not surprising you wouldn't know it."

Rukia's eyes widened. "The other side of the forest…but it's already past noon. Can you make it back there before nightfall?"

"If I can't, I shall die and be eaten by wolves. And when someone finds my family crest," he held up his right hand to show a swan ring, "it will start an international incident. How fun it will be. Though of course I won't be here to see it," he concluded, with the least fun-sounding voice Rukia had ever heard.

She stared at him with her mouth gaping open, trying to contain herself but finally unable. "You…you idiot!" she screamed at him in a sudden outburst.

The man's black eyes, which had been coldly lidded until now, were wide open as he stared at her.

She trembled a little, losing some of her courage, but none of her fervor. "You're a prince. Isn't that right?" Still looking taken aback, the man nodded obediently. "Well in that case, what are you thinking?! Don't even joke about dying and causing an international incident, simply due to your own negligence! Think about your people, you moron!"

He stared at her with wide eyes. Many seconds passed. The more time passed, the more Rukia's courage faded, and eventually she lowered her head almost to her chest. "I'm sorry. I'll be done soon. Then…you can go if you like."

He continued to watch her as she worked. "Tell me your name again," he said.

Rukia blinked up at him, feeling an unwarranted warmth as she met his cold eyes. "Rukia."

Prince Byakuya nodded, while still watching her. "In that case, Rukia, I assume by the accoutrements here that you have a family. I shall stay at least until they return. If they allow it, then I will accept your kind offer, and stay until morning."

A hesitant smile broke over Rukia's face, and she turned back to her task. "I think that's a good idea," she said. And though she tried to stop herself, she also added, "Although technically, I only implied that you should stay, I didn't actually offer."

She thought she saw him raise his eyebrow at her very slightly. And then, even more slightly, an upward turn at the corner of his mouth.

She finished the stitches, then wrapped the whole thing in bandages. A little blood still seeped through though. "Well…" she murmured. "It'll last until the morning, I think, but maybe I should have done them tighter after all…the stitches, I mean."

Byakuya sat up, surprising her. He lifted his arm a bit to glance at it. He rolled his shoulder slightly, and then frowned. "Did you set my shoulder while I was asleep?"

"Did I what?"

At her confusion, he frowned again, gently feeling it. "Never mind. I was sure I felt it dislocate when I fell, but…" He met her gaze, and suddenly Rukia's heart was pounding. She only just realized that he was sitting before her half naked, and her cheeks filled with color. "Thank you for helping me, Rukia. I want to tell you, I-"

Suddenly the door burst open and the gang poured in. As they came in, Yachiru was bounding in first, saying, "Look, Ruki-ruki, we found a great vein of iron, so we came home early!" Then she, like the rest of the group, stopped with gaping mouths. "Hm? Is it your long lost brother, Ruki-ruki Two?"

Hiyori was apocalyptic. "Who is this gigantic turnip?!" she cried, coming within inches of Byakuya to point at his nose. Unfortunately, the battle-worn prince's body reacted for him.

Suddenly, the point of a rapier that Rukia hadn't even noticed at his hip was at Hiyori's jugular. "Your insolence would normally earn you serious punishment in my kingdom."

"Byakuya!" Rukia cried in horror.

Strangely, seeing this expression on her caused a rather hurt look to come over his face, and his grip to loosen. Hiyori, completely unfazed, used this brief moment of distraction to grab him by the head and smash her forehead into his. Byakuya's senses were knocked all to hell and he fell back onto the bed, holding his forehead.

"My bed…" Hanatarou said mournfully, seeing the blood.

Rukia quickly got up to try to explain. "He fell from his horse and came here for help. Wait!" she cried, as Hiyori went to make another pass at him. "He's a prince! We have to take care of him!"

The normally taciturn Hitsugaya did not seem to like this at all. "We've only just invited you into our home. Do you intend to start filling it up with all your friends and relatives now?"

Byakuya stopped holding his head. He rose in a stately fashion, towering high over everyone in the room. "It is as she says. We are neither friends, nor relatives. I met with an accident and this girl was kind enough to help. Of course, I intend to repay that kindness in whatever way that she, or the head of the household, deems appropriate." He briefly straightened his hair, making sure that all present could see the crest on his gold ring. "If I have overstayed my welcome, then I will leave immediately."

"Out you go, then!" said Hiyori happily, but Ishida clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Would you…give us a moment?" said Ishida.

Byakuya merely glared down at him, saying nothing, so Ishida dragged Hiyori into the kitchen where the others were currently gathering to discuss the situation. The only thing that could be heard clearly was Hiyori yelling "What?!" as soon as Ishida released her mouth.

While this was going on, Byakuya turned back to Rukia. "This house seems…perhaps too erratic for someone gentle like you. You may come with me to my palace if you wish."

Rukia blushed, but she frowned a moment later. "Please don't speak ill of them. I've only just met them, but they saved my life."

He observed her for a moment, and she expected more arrogant back-talk. Instead, he closed his eyes dutifully. "As you wish."

Finally, Ishida led the gang back into the bedroom. "Okay, Your Highness," he said, though there was a hint of doubt in his tone. "We'll take you as a man of your word. You can stay for the night, and then we'll be expecting another visit or perhaps a delivery in the next couple of days," he said, highly suggestively.

"Candy!" Yachiru cried, but Rose and Nova hurriedly forced her to the back of the group.

Rukia sighed.

Byakuya watched them for a moment, then nodded. "I am a man of my word."

"You're sleeping on the floor, just so you know," said Hitsugaya.

Byakuya's eyebrows twitched together in subtle indignation. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well."

"Wait…" said Rukia, hesitantly. "It's not much, but you can take the rocking chair instead of me."

All eyes in the house passed briefly between the enormous Byakuya (though in actuality he was only a little over average for a man) and the modest chair. Byakuya was clearly trying not to make a withering expression as he faced Rukia and said patiently, "My lady. If I were to sit in that chair, it would be no more. The floor will do. Please excuse me, it is getting cold and I must see to Sakura, my horse…"

He took two steps toward the door, then swayed. He very reluctantly leaned on the wall with his hand, and then he could go no further.

Hiyori scoffed. "Princes these days. They're so inbred, they can't even walk straight."

"Hiyori(-chan/san)!" chorused Rukia, Ishida, Rose and Hanatarou.

Surprisingly, it was Hanatarou who lent the prince his shoulder and brought him back to his bed. "Rukia-san," said Hanatarou. "Actually, I know a little healing magic. Would you mind very much if I undid your bandages?"

Rukia shook her head emphatically, and at some point all the others had gathered around to watch as Hanatarou gently removed the bandages, through which a little blood was still dripping, and placed his hands over the wound. "I'll just stop the bleeding and close it up a little. You want it to heal naturally around the stitches."

Hanatarou closed his eyes, and his lips moved softly. Rukia almost thought she could hear very eerie whispering, but none of the words came out distinctly. Slowly, green light began to build under Hanatarou's hands. Yachiru made an impressed noise, though Rukia was sure she had seen this before. After a few moments, the light began to fade. Hanatarou sighed heavily, lying down beside where the prince was sitting, evidently not very conscious of personal space.

"Been a long time!" he complained. "Ahh, so tired."

Rukia gasped. "The bleeding really stopped! It looks so much better now!"

"So it does…" Byakuya murmured, touching it with slight disbelief.

Hiyori promptly clapped him on the shoulder. Byakuya crumpled in a very undignified way, holding his shoulder and clearly trying not to make any noise in pain. "What do you know! He's all better. Now get off, biggun. Your bed is here." She stomped several times on the floor.

Rose sighed. "Your Highness? Here, take my bed. I may only be chivalrous toward ladies in general, but I can't stand to see anyone take that kind of treatment from Hiyori."

"So now it's no honorifics at all, huh?!" Hiyori shouted at him as he helped Byakuya to his bed.

"Thank you, Rose," Rukia said.

He winked at her.

"Did you just wink?" Byakuya asked darkly.

"Ah ha ha. I had something in my eye, Your Highness."

…

Back in Rukia's former home, Queen Yumichika was sitting down to dinner with his brothers when he realized something. "Oh!" he said, smiling blissfully. "I can't believe I forgot."

He reached into a deep pocket in his robe and drew out the hand mirror. Both brothers sighed in annoyance.

"You never get tired of that, do you?" Ikkaku muttered.

"Throw it away already," said Kenpachi. "The girl's gone, so obviously it's going to say you."

Yumichika frowned at him. "It may this time. But that may not always be the case. With this I can know for sure."

Ikkaku leaned against the table and gestured with a bit of beef on the end of his fork. "I see. And then I suppose then you'll go and kill the next one too. What did you just tell me the other day? Do you want to live in a kingdom of uggos? I certainly don't."

Yumichika smiled dangerously. "Someone who's **bald** has no place commenting on other peoples' ugliness."

A vein in Ikkaku's forehead popped. "For the last **goddamn time**, I am not bald, I shave my head. Suck it, Yumichika."

Yumichika turned his attention back to the mirror, tuning out his crass brothers. "Mirror, mirror, in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" asked Yumichika in a dulcet voice.

The mirror seemed to take more time than usual, causing Yumichika to frown. Eventually the ghostly visage appeared and the distorted voice replied, "The queen is fair, so swear I will, but Snow White lives, and is fairer still."

Yumichika's whole body may as well have turned to stone. Even his two violent brothers, who were normally quite dim at judging the atmosphere, didn't make a sound. Many long, tense moments passed. Slowly, Yumichika opened his mouth. "Kenpachi…" he said, in a shaking voice.

Kenpachi hesitated. "Yeah?"

"Is it possible to live without a heart?"

Kenpachi scratched his head. "No, it ain't."

"Ikkaku?"

"…yeah."

"Have you ever stabbed someone in the heart, and seen them walk away from it?"

"Nope."

Yumichika barely refrained from smashing the mirror, but instead merely set it down. Then he smashed his fist into his plate of unfinished food. The plate broke, food went everywhere and he cut his hand on a shard, but he didn't even seem to notice. Still trembling, he thought for a few moments. "All right. It's clear that someone here is lying, and I'm going to guess that it isn't my mirror. I think we need to pay a visit to Abarai Renji."

Kenpachi picked something out of his teeth. "I doubt he's still here. He'd have fled, knowing you'd figure it out eventually. That's what cowards always do."

"And unfortunately, as you said yourself, he's the best tracker we know of," added Ikkaku, though growing quite serious.

A very tense smile passed over Yumichika's features. "Actually, what I said was 'probably'." He looked up at Ikkaku. "I need you to make a quick journey for me, up into the northern mountains. I want you to ask around about a cabin on the other side of the pass, in an area where they say only demons go. I want you to go there, and I want you to find me a man called Komamura Sajin."


	4. Chapter 4

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 4

Amazingly, Prince Byakuya slept straight through the bustle of the morning, as everyone ate breakfast and then said goodbye to Rukia. Surprisingly, this time Hiyori was the last to go. She stood in the doorway, staring at the sleeping prince. Then she glared at Rukia.

She seemed to want to say something, and opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then she scowled deeper at her. "Well, if he robs or murders you while we're out, don't say I didn't warn you!" She spat, glaring at Rukia as she stomped out to catch up with the others, muttering, "Stupid girl." She turned back around to say, "No sense of danger!" Then grumbled and continued proudly walking along.

Rukia felt herself smiling widely, her heart suddenly feeling very full that Hiyori was concerned for her. She was so glad that these were the people who had found her in her hour of need. She set about cleaning up for the day, and set aside some breakfast for Byakuya. When she finished, she sat down at the table and picked up an old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales that the children happened to have. Her favorite was The Glass Coffin.

She had been reading for a time when she glanced up. She covered her mouth and tried very hard not to laugh. Prince Byakuya was sitting up in bed. No doubt due to the cold, and lack of any available clothing that would fit him, he was shivering and wrapped in Rose's blanket over his naked top half. His eyes were dull and glazed over, as he was clearly not a morning person. Lastly, some of the hair had come out of his clip, but only on one side. Something about the way he slept had made a happy sprig bloom out only on one side of his head. It was a fairly pathetic sight.

However, seemingly unaware both of his current state and of Rukia's opinion of it, he slowly got to his feet, shuffled over, and sat down in the chair next to Rukia. He was still staring blankly ahead, as if he didn't notice her.

She smiled at him. "There's some breakfast for you."

Byakuya blinked once, then paused for a few seconds. Finally, his gaze flicked down to the oatmeal and toast. "I see," he said.

"You're not hungry?"

Another long pause. "I am."

Yet he made no move to attempt to eat. Rukia chuckled. "All right. Well, eat when you're ready." She paused for a moment, temporarily unable to voice what was on her mind. Her honorable self told her that the prince must be on his way as soon as possible. His family and his subjects must be dreadfully worried. Yet…the truth was, she did not want him to leave. Instead, she settled for a less direct approach. "How is your wound today?"

Byakuya blink a few times, and seemed to grow more awake. "Better, thank you. I shall leave once the morning frost melts a little."

Much though she felt a touch of guilt, Rukia also sighed with relief to hear that he would probably stay a few more hours. "I see. Are your subjects looking for you?"

"I suppose."

Rukia felt a little irked as his nonchalance, but she held it back.

"Rukia," he said.

She jumped a little, blushing at being addressed by her name. "Yes?"

His eyes grew somewhat serious. "What I said yesterday was more than just an idle remark." He met her eyes, much though his were still cold and distant. "I would be happy if you would come back to my castle with me."

Rukia blushed badly. She turned her gaze to her hands, thinking. Then suddenly something occurred to her, and she felt a chill inside her heart. She swallowed. "Prince Byakuya," she said slowly. His eyes flicked over to her in annoyance at suddenly being addressed so formally. "When you first met me, you said I looked very much like someone you once knew." The prince grew still. "In fact, although there was the issue of blood loss, you seemed convinced for quite some time, having to look at me closely to discover the differences." Rukia took in a breath, and hesitantly met his gaze. "Pardon me for asking, but who was that person?"

Byakuya watched her for some time. Rukia was secretly hoping for the answer "mother" or "sister", yet from his expression when he saw her, she had a very sure feeling that would not be the case. Finally, he closed his eyes. "My wife," he said, quietly. Rukia's chest felt cold suddenly, but she said nothing. "Illness took her from me some two years ago. Forgive me. You do look very much alike, but it was inconsiderate of me to say so."

Rukia took a moment to gather herself and then smiled hesitantly. "Oh…your wife," she said, trying to sound sympathetic. "I'm so sorry. It must be very painful just seeing me."

Byakuya shook his head. "When I first realized it wasn't her, I won't deny it was a blow." Rukia's chest tightened. "But now, I find your presence very soothing. I would very much like it if you would return to my home with me."

Rukia gazed down softly at her hands, unable to reply for some time. "Is that an order?"

Byakuya frowned. "Of course not. Although…" He thought for a moment. "Your refusal would be very upsetting. It is not an order, but I urge you to accept. This a request from a prince, which you would be wise to answer favorably."

Rukia felt a shiver. Especially because after saying this, Byakuya calmly began to pick at the food set before him. She would not have imagined one so beautiful and graceful to be so selfish. It took her a long time to decide the right thing to say.

"I'm sorry…" Rukia said softly. "If I have a choice, then I choose to stay."

Byakuya froze. He looked up at her with an expression which, though subtle, made Rukia's heart ache. "Why?"

Rukia lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Byakuya didn't move for a long few moments. Finally, he leaned down, loosely surrounding Rukia in his arms. "Have I done something wrong?"

Rukia was blushing so hard she felt herself tearing up. The blanket which hung around his shoulders enveloped her, so all she could see was his chest, and if she dared to look up, his handsome face. "No…" she answered, in a half-lie.

"Then why?"

"I…"

Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. "Hello?" said a familiar voice. "Is anyone here? Please, I'm looking for someone."

Rukia gasped, happiness suddenly filling her chest. She completely forgot about the danger she'd been in just days ago, and the handsome man sitting before her, and leapt from her seat, leaving Byakuya looked confused and vaguely angry.

She pulled open the door. She, and the person on the other side of it, watched each other in almost disbelief for a long few moments. Neither seemed able to speak for some time. Finally, Renji closed his eyes and a happy tear rolled down his cheek. He dropped to his knees, desperately grasping Rukia's arms.

"Rukia…" he whispered. "I'm so glad…I'm so glad you're safe…How can you ever forgive me?"

Rukia knelt right along with him and wrapped her arms around his neck, crying herself. "Any wrong you did is already forgiven. Thank you so much for finding me…!"

Renji held her gently, still conscious of the fact that she was royal and he was not really fit to touch her. Then suddenly, his gaze flicked up to the occupant in the room. His eyes widened. He shot to his feet, taking Rukia easily in his hands and setting her down beside and slightly behind him.

"Who are you?"

"Renji, it's all right," Rukia said, but of course there was too much testosterone in the room for her voice to carry very far.

Byakuya got to his feet. He was further angered by the fact that Renji was taller than he. "I might ask you the same question. According to this woman, she was left abandoned by everyone she knew. I assumed that included any lover, if there was one."

"Byakuya, stop it…"

Renji gritted his teeth, rage etched across his features. "How dare you?" he whispered. "Do you know who she is?!"

That caused Byakuya to pause. "What does that mean?"

"Renji, please-"

"This is Ukitake Rukia, Shirayuki Hime. You are in the presence of the princess of Magadan. And you will show all due deference." Renji added the last part in a deathly whisper.

Byakuya's eyebrows shot up. "Princess…?" he murmured. He looked to Rukia for confirmation.

Rukia paused, then she shook her head. "Not anymore. My stepmother thinks that I am dead, and unless I truly want to forfeit my life, it must stay that way. I'm hardly a princess anymore."

Byakuya looked somewhat shaken. His lips parted and his gaze dropped to the floor. "I have…overstepped myself."

Rukia was confused. "What do you mean? As I said, my parentage makes no difference at this point."

He turned away. "Forgive me. I would never have made such advances if I had known of your birth."

"Advances?!" Renji snarled.

Rukia's hands were trembling slightly. "I don't understand. Do you meant that…now that we are equals in your mind, you want nothing to do with me?"

Byakuya said nothing, which was as good as answering her question.

Unable to stop, Rukia felt tears rolling down her cheeks. "That's…so cruel…You mean that you only wanted a servant who resembled your dead wife?"

"I said nothing of the kind," Byakuya said. However, he seemed reluctant to say anything else. To Rukia, this was tantamount to admitting it.

Rukia looked away. "I feel like such a fool."

Renji had been staring at her for some time. "Rukia…why are you making that face? Who is he?" Renji's expression darkened. "Why are you making that face for him?"

Byakuya removed the blanket from his shoulders and dropped it on the bed where it belonged. There may also have been a secondary purpose of displaying his physique to Renji. He picked up his jerkin, ripped off the bloody sleeve, and donned it.

"I have overstayed my welcome. By far," Byakuya said. He paused for a moment. "Shirayuki Hime," he said softly. Rukia looked up, still confused. "I know nothing of your circumstances, and this may not mean much…but if you need assistance, you may look to Sakha."

He walked toward the door. Renji was still standing in the way, and he continued to do so for many long seconds. Byakuya merely met his gaze with self-important coldness. He knew he had no need to stoop to verbal parrying with someone so far beneath his station. So he waited.

Renji's expression grew steadily darker. He gritted his teeth. Finally, he stepped aside. Byakuya passed smoothly by him, and walked out toward his horse, which the children had kindly fed and watered for him. Rukia stared listlessly at the floor for a few moments. Then, though Renji tried to stop her, she ran outside.

"Wait!" she cried. Prince Byakuya had mounted his horse, and spared her a passing glance. She wrung her hands for a moment, trying to think of something to say. She was hurt, but nevertheless, Rukia was the type to give love without expecting anything in return. She met his eyes and said softly, "I was very happy to speak with you."

Byakuya's eyes widened. Pain streaked his face. He watched her for a few moments and then closed his eyes and turned away. Rukia may have imagined it, but she thought she saw some dampness in the corners of his eyes.

"Your kindness shames me, Princess," he said softly. He paused for a moment, and then added, "If God is forgiving, we will meet again."

With that, he squeezed his horse's flanks, and went out into woods, with the intermittent sun at his back.


	5. Chapter 5

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 5

Moments after riding onto his father's land, two guards on horses came racing up to Byakuya.

"Prince Byakuya!"

"Prince Byakuya!"

"You are wounded! Please ride slowly alongside us, and we will escort you to the palace."

They promptly surrounded him, causing Sakura, who'd always been a bit bitey, to nip at the flanks of one of their geldings. Byakuya merely closed his eyes in resignation. The worst was yet to come.

Though he was not wounded in any way that would prevent him from walking, upon entering the palace he was surrounded by attendants, who only seemed to want to make it more difficult for him to walk by hovering around him like a safety net. Nevertheless, he told them, for the eighteenth time, that he would be absolutely fine. He was only a few doors away from his room, and home free, when the worst possible thing happened. He caught the eyes of his father.

King Kyouraku stood dumbfounded for a moment, standing at the other end of the hall and staring at his son. Byakuya had already looked away, barely holding back a sigh. The attendants stopped their cooing and promptly stepped aside, knowing as well as Byakuya did what was about to happen. The mighty Kyouraku stared at his son, and several tense moments passed. Then his eyes filled with tears.

"Byakkun!" he cried, bounding down the hall toward him.

Heedless of his son's injury, Kyouraku snatched him up in his arms, holding him so tight he nearly lifted him from the floor. Byakuya held back a yelp of pain. It had been like this since he was a child, but particularly after Byakuya lost his wife. His father refused to leave him alone.

"Byakkuuuun!" Kyouraku cried again, looking down at his son with tear-streaked cheeks.

Byakuya gritted his teeth. "I'm fine, father. I had a small accident, it won't happen again."

"Noooo!" Kyouraku cried, dragging behind Byakuya, holding the fabric of the back of his jerkin. "Tell me, honey, tell Papa what happened!"

Byakuya rounded a glare on him and Kyouraku flinched. "A king should never refer to himself in such a manner."

Kyouraku sank to the floor in a pout and started pushing around dust bunnies. "Nanao-chan, listen to this," he said, to the ceiling, speaking as he often did to Byakuya's departed mother. "Our son is being mean to his papa. What should I do, Nanao-chan?"

Byakuya trembled with rage. Nevertheless, a spark of pity caused him to let go of his anger. He helped his father up, then told him, "If you're quiet, you may come with me to my room, and I will recount what I can of what happened."

Kyouraku gazed at him in wonder. Then he promptly covered his eyes as he began to cry again. "Nanao-chan! Our son is growing up!"

Byakuya rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Eventually things settled down, and it was just Byakuya, his father and a healer in his room. Kyouraku looked on nervously as the woman unwrapped the bandages and examined the wound. She took out some tiny scissors. However, Byakuya stopped her hand.

"Must you remove the stitches?" he asked softly.

Both the healer and Kyouraku looked at him like he was crazy. Eventually, the woman said doubtfully, "I can leave them in. But no matter how well it heals, there will be a scar. If I take them out now, I can heal the wound completely, leaving no marks. What would you rather, Your Highness?"

Clearly, both she and the king expected him to give in. Byakuya looked down at his arm. He touched the silk threads. "Please leave them in," he said.

"Byakkun!" his father complained.

Then, though he was not aware of it himself, Byakuya did something that shocked his father. He very, nearly, almost smiled. Kyouraku's jaw dropped. It may well have been a very-nearly-almost, but it was the closest thing to a smile that Kyouraku had seen on his son's face in many years.

"Byakkun…who gave you those stitches?"

Byakuya merely closed his eyes. "I doubt you would believe me. I'm not sure I believe it myself. Perhaps a ghost. Perhaps a fairy."

"Right…well, you're losing me, son. Anyway, I'm sure fairies don't need to use old silk thread."

"No, I suppose not."

As the healer reapplied his bandages and thus was on her way, Kyouraku came closer so he could look into Byakuya's eyes. "Son. Tell me what happened."

Byakuya considered. But he couldn't see how telling his father would do any harm. He told what had happened, including the fact that he had first asked her to come with him, that she had refused, that he had found out she was royal, and that he had left without another word about it.

Kyouraku listened patiently. In the end, he leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand. "I see. I think I understand. In some ways, I think you did the right thing."

Byakuya frowned. "Why only in some?"

Kyouraku sighed, looking distant. "I'm sure I've talked to you about this before. I may not have wanted you to _marry_ a commoner, Byakuya, but I never said you should treat them as less important, less valuable as human beings. I thought surely Hisana-chan would have taught you that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Byakuya asked, already getting his hackles up from Hisana's mention.

"What? You came back because you were being completely inappropriate with her, right? Because it would damage her honor?" Kyouraku guessed. Byakuya did not deny it. "Yet you had no problem being completely inappropriate with the same girl of different parentage, did you? That's not a good way for a prince to be."

Byakuya gritted his teeth. "Those are the facts. A common girl has much less to lose in that situation."

Kyouraku considered. "From a societal point of view perhaps, although I might argue with you on that. But that wasn't really what I meant, Byakkun." In one of his rare moments of seriousness, King Kyouraku met his son's gaze. "Is your honor defined by what other people think of you? Or is it something you define in yourself?"

Byakuya frowned. He wasn't very good with questions like these. "What's the difference?"

Kyouraku sighed. "I suppose that's where the problem lies. Ahh, Nanao-chan. Did we raise him this way?"

Byakuya's last nerve was quickly being frayed. "Father-"

"Wait, say that again. Did you say the princess of Magadan is living in a hut in the woods?"

Byakuya nodded, growing serious again. "Evidently her life is being threatened by the queen." He paused for a moment. "I was wondering if it would be overstepping my bounds to visit this queen."

"I was just thinking the same thing, to be honest," said Kyouraku, closing his eyes and folding his arms in thought. "Well, much though we were once enemies, all I know about Magadan these days is that the people suffer poverty and disease. The queen might welcome a friendship with a more prosperous kingdom."

Byakuya nodded. "Very well. I will send her a missive tomorrow, and if she replies favorably, will visit her the following day."

"No, no, dear boy. This is a king's office, and if anyone must go, it is me."

"Very well. But if this queen is as treacherous as she seems, then I must accompany you."

Kyouraku bounced his knee for a moment, staring at the ceiling in thought. "This would normally be the point where I should say, 'No, you stay at home and rest your injuries, and let your father handle this'…" The king grew tearful again. "But Queen Yumichika scares the pants off me."

Byakuya held back a sigh. "Just as well. I would feel ill at ease sending you alone to an errand that should be my own. Please send her a missive, father, and we shall await her reply."

"Yes. Oh, it's a 'he' by the way."

"A what?"

…

It was not hard to imagine the children's response to finding yet another strange man in their house.

Hiyori was boiling with rage. "Oh! And I suppose this one is a prince, too?! Prince of the grimy paupers?!" screeched Hiyori.

Ishida sighed. "Really, Rukia-san. What is the story this time? I'll say this again, but we have no more beds, and no food to spare."

Renji stood, towering even higher over them than Byakuya had. "You have no need to worry on either account. I trap my own food, and I'll sleep on the roof."

"Renji!" Rukia cried. "You'll freeze!"

"Of course I won't. And even if there were beds, I'm sure I would say the same thing." He held Rukia by her shoulders. "If I ever let anything happen to you again, my life would be as good as forfeit. The only reason I'm still in this world is so that I can protect you."

Rukia balked. "Renji…don't say things like that…"

Renji picked up the rucksack he had dropped when he came in. "The roof is the best place to know when danger is coming. And anything that comes will see me keeping watch, and surely come after me first."

"Renji…"

Renji approached Ishida and Hiyori, deeming them to be the leaders of the group. "I understand that having a princess in your care must be disrupting your lives quite a bit. But if it means anything, both she and I will be forever in your debt. I will protect you all as if you were her, and while I am alive, no harm will come to this house."

Ishida looked a bit embarrassed and pushed up his glasses. Nova actually came and shook Renji's hand; apparently he was much more protective of the others than Rukia gave him credit for. But the biggest surprise was Hiyori. She was silent for so long that people began to look at her. To the shock of everyone (except Renji, who didn't know her very well), her cheeks were bright red, and she seemed frozen, staring up at him.

With a trembling hand, she reached for the wall. Silently, but for the shuffling of her feet, she inched along the wall, skirting around Renji until she was safe on the inside of the house, and even then continued to back away. Finally she bit her lip for a moment and then addressed him in indignation, much though her face got even redder.

"Don't think you've fooled us!" she cried, in a strangely high-pitched voice. "You…you…gigantic radish!"

Renji frowned, and quietly disputed, "Radishes are red on the bottom…"

"Shut your pie hole!" she screeched. And then, positively red from head to toe, she pointed at him and said, "I'm…I'm keeping my eye on you…rhubarb!"

Renji shrugged. "That's a little better I suppose."

Hiyori gritted her teeth, then raced inside the bedroom and slammed the door. Her absence was met with a moment or two of silence, and then a wild eruption of laughter.

Rose said, "I've never seen her like that! You dog!" he knocked Renji one on the arm. Renji looked to Rukia with confusion.

Rukia just chuckled.

"Right…" Renji muttered, trying to steer the conversation back to something he understood. "I meant what I said, though. You can ignore my presence, or if anything, think of me as-"

Ishida cleared his throat and then patted Renji on the arm. "No more. You pass. If you're happy enough to sleep on the roof, then do that. In the meantime, you can feel free to sit with us and enjoy the warmth."

Renji shook his head. "Thank you, but I would feel much better being outside as soon as dusk falls. My eyes can get used to the light." He turned back to Rukia and gently and somewhat shyly smiled. "Sleep well. And Rukia…I'm really glad you're safe."

With that, he was out the door. Rukia watched after him with mixed feelings. Suddenly, Yachiru popped up in front of her. "Is that one your sweetheart, Ruki-Ruki?"

Rukia blushed. "No…he's a childhood friend."

Rose was nodding to himself as he came up beside her. "Well, he's not as pretty as the other one, I'll admit. But he's certainly more pleasant to talk to."

Nova nodded.

Rukia blushed again, shaking her head with a smile. "He's a man among men, you don't need to tell me. I've known that since I was a child. But you've seen how honorable he is, looking after me so valiantly, just because of his debt of honor to my father. I could never be worthy of someone like that."

The children exchanged glances. "Well…" said Rose, voicing their shared opinion. "We have only just met him, but I wouldn't say it's _just_ for a debt to your father…"

But then Hitsugaya yawned. "Well. I'd better go make sure Hiyori isn't dying of shame."

Ishida scoffed. "You're just Sleepy."

"Suck it, Doc."

The other children settled down at the table, and Rukia made dinner for them. She was supposed to eat herself, but she gazed up at the roof. Then she glanced at the stew in her hands. She happened to catch Ishida's eye at one point, and with a hidden smirk, he merely nodded toward the ceiling, then kept eating. Rukia smiled gratefully.

She went outside, with stew in hand, and climbed up the slope which touched the roof at one point. She stepped onto it, and found Renji sitting and watching her as she came up. He sighed.

"Good evening," Rukia said with a smile.

He smiled back at her, then shook his head ruefully. "I should have known you'd come up here."

"Why yes, good sir, for I have a weakness for men who like to sleep on rooftops," she said, grinning playfully. She sat down beside him and presented the stew. "Here. It's not much, but there's nothing bad in it."

"You made it?" Renji asked, and though it was dark, she thought she saw him blush.

"Yup."

Renji accepted the bowl, then sighed. "This is your share, isn't it?"

Rukia didn't have an answer for that, merely looking sheepishly to the side as she tried to think of something.

Renji observed her for a moment, then set the bowl between his knees. He leaned over and dug around in his rucksack. "Have it your way," he said, then sat up again. "But you'll have to be satisfied with traveler's bread and deer jerky."

He held them out to her. Rukia took them and stared for a moment. Then a large smile broke out over her face. She grinned up at him. "I guess it's true what they say. That a gentleman is a gentleman even on a rooftop."

Renji snorted the stew he was trying to eat. "Who has ever said that?" He laughed as he wiped stew off of his chin. "How long has it been since we ate a meal together?"

"Or since I made you choke on something with laughter."

Renji nodded, smiling. "That was what made me think of it, you did have particular skill at that." But suddenly he grew serious. "Rukia." He met her eyes. "If I were to die, would you be sad?"

Rukia's heart nearly leapt into her throat. "Don't ever say that!"

"It's important," he said gently.

Rukia nearly felt herself crying already. "You're all I have in the world now, or just about. I nearly died of sadness once already, when I thought I'd lost you, and that time you were still alive. I don't even want to think about it."

Renji grew quiet for a moment, then he nodded. "Much though part of me is very happy to hear that, I still wish it were not so." He gently touched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I'll do everything I can to make sure you're safe. But it's likely I won't live through this."

A tear rolled down Rukia's cheek. She shook her head. "No…that's not true…"

"It's all right. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I'll be happy, dying in this way, so I don't want you to be sad." He looked deeply in her eyes. "Everything I do is so you won't have to cry any more. So if I die…" he paused, taking on a sad smile with eyes that glistened slightly. "…just don't cry for too long."

Rukia lowered her head, taking it as somewhat of a shock. She shook her head. "Asking me not to cry at a time like that…"

"Hey. I said don't cry _a lot_. You go ahead and cry some, otherwise I really will feel like a fool."

They laughed awkwardly for a few moments. At length, Rukia leaned her head against his chest. Renji froze. Rukia knew he was blushing, although she couldn't see his face.

"Oi…Rukia…"

"Then you have to do me the same favor. I'll try not to cry too much if you die. I'll make you that promise. But you have to not die."

Renji laughed. "Not sure how I'll manage that."

Rukia punched him lightly in the stomach, and it was obvious she was crying. Renji hesitantly held her.

"Okay. I'll do my best not to die. I'll make you that promise."

Rukia suddenly held up her hand with the pinky sticking out, though she said nothing. Renji had to try not to laugh. Gently, he grasped her tiny pinky with his large one.

"It's a promise."

"A promise."


	6. Chapter 6

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 6

Ayasegawa Ikkaku was freezing his ass off. "Are you ready yet?!" he shouted toward the cabin.

"Very nearly," said a deeply resonating, yet somehow innocuous voice.

Ikkaku gave a sideways glance as the speaker finally appeared through the door, dressed very lightly given they were on the side of a snowy mountain. But then, he didn't need much extra warmth. Ikkaku gazed up at him, feeling even more strongly what he had felt when the man was sitting down inside, which was that he was impossibly large. Probably twice Ikkaku's height, he thought. In fact, at nine and a half feet, he was a little less than that, but it was hard to judge someone's height correctly when you could barely see their head when they were standing beside you. This man was not only tall, but stocky and heavily muscled, further adding to the impression of his largeness. Rather than the more practical weapons of a hunter, knives and arrows, he only carried one massive sword across his back. He also carried very little with him, not food nor a sleeping sack (though Ikkaku could understand about the latter).

But for all his apparent impracticality, there was a very good reason. He was, after all, a wolf.

Even Ikkaku, whose courage often ventured onto the side of the stupid, was a little too wary to ask the story behind this monster. Nor did the wolf offer any explanation about why he was giant and could speak human words. Yet he seemed strangely polite, not at all what Ikkaku was expecting after hearing stories about him from the nearby villages.

"So Yumichika is Queen now?" asked the wolf, Komamura, looking down at him as Ikkaku walked on top of the snow and Komamura forded it.

Ikkaku was silent for a while, sizing the wolf up. "I take it you knew my brother before he got married."

Komamura nodded. "Indeed. We met during the last conflict between Magadan and the Northern barbarians. He was very kind to me, even though I'm ugly." Komamura chuckled. "It's normal for anyone to be frightened of me, of course, but in his case it was doubly difficult, since he is such a connoisseur of beauty. Ha ha."

Ikkaku stared up at him, not realizing he was making a face. Why was this monster laughing and making idle conversation with him?

"If he would permit it, it would be good to see him again." Komamura laughed again. "But somehow I doubt he would."

Ikkaku tried to nod politely, but paused. "So…you're willing to go so far to do a favor for him, even if he won't see you?"

Komamura looked at him in surprise, then he thought for a moment. "Well, I always think there's something to be said for going with your heart. Much though it might seem shallow to you or myself, I think Yumichika's love of beauty ventures on the spiritual. He sees the world very differently than most people. And even if he chooses not to see me, the fact that he has given me this profitable work shows that he still thinks of me. As a friend, still, I hope."

Even Ikkaku found himself a little moved. He sighed. "You're a good guy. Yumichika should have kept you around."

Komamura laughed. "How kind."

…

Queen Yumichika had indeed replied to their missive favorably, so with a small entourage, the prince and king of Sakha left their lands to reach nearby Magadan. They took the main roads this time (unlike Byakuya's little impromptu excursion before), so it took a little longer. As they rode, Byakuya couldn't help giving his father sidelong glances now and then.

"Father," he said at one point. King Kyouraku looked up at him with a blithe grin, having obviously been daydreaming. "I take it…you've met Queen Yumichika before."

Kyouraku's happiness left his smile like it had sprung a leak, replaced only with dread. He sighed heavily, slouching over in despair. "Once or twice. Thankfully when your mother was still alive."

"Thankfully?"

"Yes," Kyouraku said heavily. "It's fairly well known among the royalty that Queen Yumichika has been looking for a husband for some seven or eight years now. I believe he's especially keen on royalty." Kyouraku shivered and then he reached over and grabbed Byakuya's sleeve, causing Sakura to start a row with the king's horse, Katen. "Don't leave me alone with him, Byakkun. He's scary. Oh! And don't you get left alone with him either!"

"I hardly think I am in danger of being bewitched by someone twice my age. And a man."

Kyouraku shook his head. "Don't let your guard down. He doesn't look his age. In fact, he's still more beautiful than almost any woman I've known. Except for you, Nanao-chan," he said, smiling up at the sky.

Byakuya tried not to roll his eyes. "Very well. But in what way is he scary? Scary as in determined to find a man?"

Kyouraku shook his head. "No, that only makes it worse. He's a master of demon magic."

Byakuya's eyes widened, since suddenly the conversation had taken a serious turn. "He is?"

"Yes. There was…well, I normally don't pay attention to such ludicrous talk, but there was a rumor, years ago, that the king of Magadan hadn't actually died."

Byakuya frowned. "What kind of rumor?"

Kyouraku sighed sadly. "Now, look. I give this rumor no credit whatsoever, and I think it was just something cruel to say about someone beautiful, so don't you pay any heed to it but…the rumor went that Yumichika wanted the throne for himself, and instead of killing the king, who was sickly anyway, so everyone would believe he had died naturally, he changed him into a beast, which even now roams the forests of Magadan."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "For someone who doesn't give credit to the rumor, you seem to be enthusiastic about it."

"Well it's a good story! Doesn't it give you the shivers?"

"Which is precisely why it was repeated so often that it reached our borders, no doubt." He thought for a moment. "But turning someone into a beast. That isn't possible, is it?"

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think so, no."

Byakuya nodded. "We must be careful nevertheless. If Queen Yumichika were to suspect my sympathies toward her step daughter, we would both be in danger."

Kyouraku stared at Byakuya for a long time, and eventually Byakuya had to address him.

"What is it?"

Kyouraku got tearful again. "Byakkun…we just got into the woods, why did you have to say such a scary thing?"

"Firstly, you brought it up. Secondly," he sighed again, "you are a much greater warrior than myself. Why must you whine and cry like a child all the time? You make the men uncomfortable."

"I do not! And it's just my personality! Don't be so mean, Byakkun…"

Byakuya rubbed his temples again.

…

Yumichika was unknowingly tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair where he sat, by a window overlooking the woods. Unfortunately, he'd sent away Ikkaku, who was more often than not his conversation partner. Though Kenpachi was often happy enough to keep company, he didn't really like conversation and often argued with Yumichika whenever they did speak. Still, too much was happening and Yumichika had to talk about it.

"Ikkaku's taking a while," he said.

"Mm," replied Kenpachi, sitting by the wall with one leg propped up on another chair. He was sharpening his boot knife, and seemed utterly disinterested.

Yumichika rolled his eyes. he decided he was just going to talk, and Kenpachi could add things if he felt like it. "Snow White and Abarai Renji going missing at the same time is a worry, but I'm sure Komamura will find them. If he ever gets here," he added, grumbling.

"Mm."

"Did you ever meet Komamura?"

"M-mm."

Yumichika stared at him in annoyance. "But the surprise of the hour was Sakha. Can you believe it? A father and son, both widowers, royalty of the most profitable kingdom for leagues on end, and from what I can gather, both fairly easy on the eyes as well."

Kenpachi raised an eyebrow at that. "Yumichika. How old to you think you-"

"Kenpachi, you finish that sentence and I'll tear your eyes out."

He smirked dangerously at him. "Okay then. How old do you think _he_ is? I notice you had to say 'from what I can gather'. Right? Because the last time you saw the prince, he was this high, right?" Kenpachi held a hand up at about the top of his chair. Then he threw his head back with laughter.

A vein popped in Yumichika's forehead. "I think you're underestimating me."

Kenpachi chuckled again. "I think you're underestimating a handsome man in his twenties. Suppose you did get married. Are you sure you could keep up?" he added with suggestive grin.

"Kenpachi. I'll shove your face in pigswill later."

Kenpachi just laughed.

A servant knocked on the door. "Your Majesty. Their royal highnesses, the king and prince of Sakha approach through the main gate."

Yumichika leapt to his feet, unconsciously straightening his hair. "Very well. I will await them in the throne room."

Having said this, he hurried off in that direction, but not before stopping to preen in the nearest mirror.

"Kenpachi get off your ass," he growled, barely moving his lips so he didn't mar his reflection.

Kenpachi laughed dangerously again and rose from his chair, sheathing his boot knife before following Yumichika.

…

Byakuya and Kyouraku were meant to meet the queen in the throne room, but it seemed for some reason to take the queen longer to get there than them. They were waiting about five minutes when a servant's voice rang out.

"His Royal Highness, Queen Yumichika of Magadan."

By habit, they both knelt with one fist on the floor, then were able to look up. The queen, along with a terrifying man who was eight feet high and covered in scars, descended a set of stairs before coming to stand beside the throne. Byakuya's eyes widened. The tales of his beauty were not exaggerated.

Queen Yumichika did not dress in a particularly feminine way, but in an almost artistic way; long, azure robes in a somewhat oriental style, the waist tightly synched by a wide, elegant belt of red silk that extended from the top of the ribs to the waist. He had long, black hair which hung unhampered around his shoulders, with two strands of bangs held around the back of his head by colored beads. Even if he were ugly, his taste was impeccable. However, ugly, he was not.

Strong eyebrows, black as his hair, made his eyes seem darker and more alluring. His eyes were quite large for a man, and heavily lashed as to almost blur the line between man and woman. He had a long, straight nose which was just the right size for his face. His cheekbones were very high, and together with his large eyes and the almond shape of his face, made it hard to look away from him. He had a luscious, red mouth, though some of that may have been maquillage. All in all, it was just as his father had said, hard to spot a wrinkle or imperfection, or to judge his age. A true beauty.

The only thing which prevented Byakuya from being enthralled was the thought of Princess Rukia. The more he thought about her, the more he realized she only vaguely resembled his fallen wife. Her beauty was of a different kind, and he understood very well why they called her Snow White. Compared with this painted peacock, the thought of her was as fresh and pristine as mountain snow. And it was there where his mind briefly drifted as the queen welcomed them.

"Friends from Sakha," he said, in a dulcet voice. "You are well met indeed. Please rise, and make yourselves at home." They rose, as she bade. "I shall not sit, for I am sure you are tired from your journey, and I would like to show you directly to my drawing room, if you are amenable."

Both men nodded, and Kyouraku said, "We would be very grateful."

"Well then, please follow me."

Byakuya was always amazed at the transformation his father made among outsiders. It made him, though he would never admit it, somewhat proud. The queen, along with the terrifying man from before, who did not introduce himself, showed them to a large, but cold room, walled on two sides with great windows. Of course, at this time of year, they were closed to keep in the heat, but the queen bade the two men sit at the warmest part of the room, then had her servants build up the fire, and open the curtains for them.

It was a stunning sight, with the woods in the foreground, and snowy peaks in the background. The day was sunny and crisp, and did not feel cold at all to look upon it. The queen himself, and the scary man, both took seats nearer the cold of the windows.

"Your Majesty," said Yumichika, bowing his head demurely toward Kyouraku. "It has been too long."

"Yes, indeed," said Kyouraku, showing none of his earlier fear. "I was remiss not to have visited more often. Ukitake was a dear friend of mine, and I am sure I share your sorrow at his loss."

Suddenly, Byakuya's eyes widened. He had been watching the queen all this time, and it was so instantaneous, he thought he might have imagined it. But as his father said that last phrase, Byakuya was sure he saw hate streak those beautiful features. It was gone as quickly as it had come, almost making him doubt his eyes. Now, Byakuya understood very well what his father had meant by "scary".

"Yes…" the queen said slowly, apparently weighing his words. "But let's not talk of such sad things. I hope what brings you here today is along a somewhat happier theme."

Kyouraku laughed. "You have sniffed me out."

Byakuya blinked. What?

Yumichika blushed and concealed the lower half of his face with his long sleeve in demure embarrassment.

What?

Yumichika said gently, "I had thought to myself, more than once, that it must be lonely in a family of just two widowers. How I feel for you."

Byakuya tried to keep himself under control. He was jumping to conclusions. But…what?!

Kyouraku smiled kindly. "It warms my heart to hear you say so."

What?!

Byakuya tried to keep it out of his face but he was panicking inside. After all that fuss he had made before, was his father really going to fall on his sword like this, just to get some information? Just for the sake of his son's interest? And just what exactly had he written in that letter?!

"You see, my son has been so lonely of late…"

WHAT?!

Byakuya sighed. I see now, he thought to himself. That's why he needed me to come. He's not the one falling on his sword. I am. Well played, father, well played indeed.

"…of course there's the issue of succession, but that's secondary," Kyouraku went on, exchanging knowing looks with Yumichika. "A young man needs companionship. And I myself am very excited…"

Yumichika's blush deepened.

"…having heard so much of the beauty of the princess, Snow White."

Byakuya's eyes widened. He instinctively held his breath. Despite the fixed expression on Yumichika's face, the atmosphere in that room was positively explosive. The smallest spark, and it was ready to go up and take them all with it. Such was the nature of Queen Yumichika's smile at that moment.

And though the scary man in the corner was smiling as well, Byakuya felt no comfort in that smile. Quite the contrary, he was beginning to feel some real fear building, experienced warrior though he was.

"You mean…Rukia…?" asked Yumichika, in a tiny and very controlled voice. He reached up to touch his hair briefly in what may have been a nervous gesture.

Kyouraku nodded with a blithe smile, as if he was completely immune to this poisonous atmosphere. Byakuya wasn't sure whether to be impressed with his father's self-control, or embarrassed with his lack of ability to sense the mood.

"Yes, indeed. She is the one your people call 'Shirayuki Hime', is she not?"

Yumichika again was frozen for a few seconds, like a broken machine. Eventually he blinked. "Why…yes."

"And since she is the daughter of my good friend, I thought I should introduce her to my lonely son, and see if they might make a match."

"I see…"

Kyouraku looked around a bit, and even Byakuya wasn't sure if that part was a show or not. "Would it be rude to ask if we could see her?"

This prompted another long moment of silence from Yumichika. Obviously, he was thinking of what the best lie would be, what was safest and what would best serve him. As Byakuya saw it, there were three possible types of lie in this case. First, to say that she was missing. That was hardly Yumichika's fault, and it would probably even gain sympathy. However, it would also lose their interest. Second, to say that she was indisposed. That way was slightly more suspicious, and an unsafe lie, since the truth of it could be easily discovered, but it meant that Sakha's interest in Magadan would be maintained. Third, to say that she was either crazy or involved with another man. This had the same problem as the first lie, losing their interest, but might be safer in the long run, if Yumichika wanted to keep her death/disappearance a secret publicly. However, with the last two, there was still a possibility that he could, in actuality, accept Rukia back into his house for the simple sake of marrying their two houses. But could he bear it? A vain creature like this?

He took a breath in. "I…am so sorry," he said. The first lie, then, Byakuya thought. "The stories of Shirayuki Hime…they are lies."

What?

Yumichika looked to the ground, sadly. "Yes, my former husband had a baby daughter. She had hair as black as ebony, and skin as white as snow." She met Kyouraku's gaze. "But the poor girl died as a child. When she was seven. She went into the woods alone and a wolf ate her heart out."

Now neither Byakuya nor Kyouraku could hide their fear of this person. Who could say such a thing with such a calm face?

Yumichika cleared his throat, hiding his mouth behind his sleeve. "Pardon me. It is still a painful memory." Kyouraku could think of no reply. "However, any lingering rumors on that case are usually traced back to a poor peasant girl, born quite nearby, who grew up thinking she was a princess. Now she calls herself 'Snow White'." Yumichika chuckled a little. "Poor thing. I find it so sad that some people even believe her. Poor, confused girl."

Byakuya's heart pounded in his ears. He knew. He knew. This man clearly knew why they were here. They could stay no longer. His grip tightened over his knees.

Fortunately, Kyouraku was thinking much the same thing. "Well," he said, sighing. "I must say that is a pity to hear. But if that is the case, I'm afraid we must leave immediately, in order to arrive home before nightfall."

"Oh?" said Yumichika innocently. "Then by all means, allow my footmen to escort you."

"No," Byakuya said suddenly, unable to stop himself.

Yumichika's eyes narrowed, gazing at him with no sign of surprise at his outburst at all. Byakuya's heart was pounding. He knew. There was no question.

"Forgive me," Byakuya continued. "It is such a great disappointment, I am not quite myself. Father, pardon me, but I wish to return home immediately."

"Of course. My deepest apologies for our intrusion, Your Majesty," said Kyouraku, and both he and Byakuya got to their feet and bowed deeply. Yumichika gracefully rose to see them off, and Byakuya was sure that before he turned away he saw morbid delight touch those beautiful features. "I very much hope that we can meet again soon, to cement our friendship better," Kyouraku said as they were leaving.

Yumichika merely nodded demurely.

Byakuya and Kyouraku walked swiftly back outside, met their entourage and mounted their horses, setting off at a fair speed. But not too fast, lest they give themselves away for sure.

"Father," Byakuya murmured as they rode.

"Hush. I know."

Byakuya swallowed heavily. They meant to help her. Now they had put her in danger, and there was no way to help her without revealing her location. Byakuya gritted his teeth. He would meet the danger. He would fight a war single-handed if he had to. It was so unbearable to him that this one girl should suffer, he would do anything he had to.

I'm so sorry, Rukia, he thought sadly. Please let me find you safe.


	7. Chapter 7

Warning: some blood and violence.

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 7

King Kyouraku grabbed the reins of Sakura, the prince's horse, pulling him up to a harsh stop.

"Father!" Byakuya cried angrily.

"That's enough," Kyouraku said. Byakuya flinched at hearing his father's tone. He could count on one hand the number of times King Kyouraku had addressed him so severely. "Byakuya. Think carefully. Have you considered the consequences of what you're trying to do?"

Byakuya gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry, Father. I know I am out of line, but if she is in danger…"

"That is the last possible thing I was trying to say, Byakuya," said Kyouraku, still in his harsh tone. He let go of the reins and moved his horse forward so that he could look hard into his son's eyes. "If she really is as much like Hisana-chan as you say, then even if she were the devil himself, I would not wish harm on her. I tell you this so you know, I believe I would go as far as you to save her. Believe me. But _think_."

More softly, he continued, "If you did go, what good could you do? The Queen already suspects your involvement, and would therefore be ready for you if you tried to take the girl and leave his kingdom. And have you forgotten, we are still on foreign soil? We have no allies here. Every old weaver and farmer's daughter could be an enemy to us, since their information could still leak back to the queen. Even if there are no spies on our tail now, we could consider every eye we see to be a danger. How many farm houses did we pass on the way here? Do you remember?"

Byakuya closed his eyes, thinking hard about what would be the right course. He knew his father's wisdom was correct. He knew that logically, there was no safe way he could go to her now. And yet… "Father…"

"I'm right," Kyouraku said, sighing.

"Yes…but-"

"It doesn't make any difference to how you feel." Now, when Byakuya looked up, some of his father's whimsy had returned, and there was a hint of a smile on its face. Though it was still tinged with sadness. "You'll have to forgive an old man his meddling. I just want to make sure my son is thinking things through." The king sighed again, glancing away. "Sakura is the fastest horse here. And you'll be less likely to be noticed or captured if you go alone."

"Exactly," Byakuya agreed.

Kyouraku picked at his teeth for a moment, then finally gave a full smile, although there could be no denying the sadness in it. "What a troublesome boy I raised."

Byakuya almost smiled, closing his eyes. He started to move Sakura forward, and as he passed his father he said quietly, "If it makes any difference, I think I inherited my stubbornness from Mother."

He thought he saw his father smile and possibly a tear at the corner of his eye before he squeezed his horse's flanks, and Sakura was off like a shot.

…

Komamura Sajin passed through the forest almost silently, like a wraith, at a speed where his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground, despite his enormous size. And even this was only half the speed he was capable of. When he chose to, he traveled much faster on all four paws. Even the animals hardly marked his passing, considering him to be more one of them than he was one of the humans.

Ayasegawa Ikkaku, Yumichika's brother, had shown him the residence of the man he was supposed to find, and he had taken a shirt to use for tracking the scent. Sajin had been given no further instructions. Track him, find him, and report back to Yumichika. Sajin knew perfectly well why he hadn't been ordered to kill or capture this man. Because Yumichika knew that no matter the price, and even as a favor to his brother in arms, Sajin would not kill unless his life was in danger. And capturing this man to bring to Yumichika would be tantamount to killing him. Simply finding him and relaying that information to Yumichika was a kind of a compromise, and way of placating himself.

At one point he stopped, sniffing the air. He knelt to the ground, touching a place which had been intentionally covered to mask the tracks. Quite well too. If he had not had the gift of his nose, he doubted he could track someone this skilled. He sniffed the earth. The man had recently been here. Not hours, but more like a day. Sajin looked up, sniffing the air again. His ears flicked back and forth as he knelt, absolutely still. Not far. He could smell many mixed human scents in the area, as well as the scent of a wood fire. But he began to feel uneasy. He could tell from the amount of carbohydrates in the smell that most of the owners of these scents were children. He did not like this.

Additionally, he could be wrong, but from the vibrations on the ground, he thought something heavy might be approaching. Perhaps a horse. But it was still far, and there were wild horses in this area. He decided to let it be, and focus on his task. He got to his feet, and took off again.

…

Rukia yawned, slowly waking. The first thing she noticed was that she was freezing, so she snuggled against the warmth behind her. Then she noticed her knees ached from being folded up all night long; apparently she'd been sitting. It took a while for these facts to come together before he remembered where she had been the last time she remembered being awake. She opened her eyes, subtly confirming her suspicions. However, it was really not necessary. The strange, masculine smell which surrounded her was proof enough.

She promptly went red all the way up to her hairline. It was true. She had been sleeping in Renji's lap. Not only that, but apparently, to protect her from the cold, Renji had elected to wrap her in his arms. She could also feel his cheek resting slightly against the back of her head, and could hear his deep breathing. She could feel his breath moving along her back, and feel his heavy heartbeat too. If possible, her blush deepened.

She slowly and carefully began to extricate herself. This left Renji sitting slightly hunched over on the roof, loosely wrapped in a thick wool blanket. Rukia smiled a bit and wrapped it more securely around him, took up his bowl from the previous night, and descended the roof. She yawned and stretched, looking up at the morning light to try to guess the time. She was surprised. She had slept quite late; it was only a couple of hours to noon as far as she could tell. She was even more surprised that Renji had slept so late, given that his job often had him rising with the sun. She blushed a little and chuckled. Perhaps another person's body heat had made him too comfortable to get up.

She was grateful she had thought to prepare some cold oatmeal the previous night for the children's breakfast, although she would have liked to heat it for them, and perhaps make some eggs or bacon to go with it. But sure enough, both children and pick axes were gone, and a lot of messy bowls were left on the table. She shook her head with a smile. How had they gotten along before she came? At the back of her mind, she also had a very pleasant thought that she wouldn't mind to keep living here forever.

She cleaned up a bit, then prepared another bowl. She walked outside. She was not surprised that the absence of her warmth had woken Renji. He now sat facing the opposite direction. She smiled.

"Good morning, Renji," she said, pleasantly.

He shifted a little underneath his blanket. "Morning."

"Come down, please."

"…No."

Rukia covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "I have some breakfast for you."

"I'm all set." He held up some traveler's bread.

"All right," she said, barely avoiding a chuckle. "But your legs will fall asleep if you keep sitting down. I'm going to do the laundry, so come keep me company."

There was a long pause. Then, she could see his ears turning red. She really had to use all her self-control not to laugh, and felt tears forming simply from the effort. "All right," Renji grumbled.

She nodded and then hurried into the house so he didn't see her smile. She had him carry out the linens while she filled up the basin with water. He strung up the line while she fetched the soap and washboard.

"Isn't this fun?" she said at one point. "We're just like brother and sister."

Renji held his breath for a moment and she saw a very dark expression go over his face. Then he turned around and scratched his head. "You're such a dork. You could at least say 'husband and wife'," he added at such a low volume she could barely hear.

"Oh right, that too."

Renji sighed. "Whatever. Give me that and I'll hang it."

"Sure thing, just let me wring it out."

The washing took a little over an hour, and then she made him come inside and eat some oatmeal.

"I'm going back up as soon as I finish this," Renji said resolutely.

Rukia sighed. "Don't you think Yumichika would have found me by now, if he was looking? Although…" She bit her lip.

"What is it?"

"Well…" She sat down beside him. "I've been wondering lately what it was that set him off in the first place. I've always known he didn't like me. I think it's because he didn't like competing for Father's love. But why now? Why wait so long?"

Renji was silent for a moment. At length, he set down his spoon. "Have you ever seen his magic mirror?"

Rukia considered for a moment. "Oh. The one he asks that question to all the time?"

Renji nodded, and hesitantly glanced down at his food. "I could be wrong, but…what if it suddenly gave him a different answer? Say…because someone in the kingdom reached puberty."

"Puberty? I don't understand."

He met her eyes. "You know Yumichika better than anybody. If that mirror suddenly told him one day that the most beautiful in the kingdom was not him, but rather someone he hated as much as you, how do you think he would react?"

Rukia was frozen for a moment. "For…a reason like that?" she whispered. A tear dropped down her cheek, causing Renji to regret what he'd just said. "He's caused so much pain to both of us…for something so trivial?"

Unfortunately, as Renji told her this, her hand had been resting on the handle of a paring knife. Her fingers tightened around it. Renji's breath caught.

"Such a stupid reason…if he wants it, he can have it back," she murmured, raising the knife to her face.

Renji had fortunately seen that coming and grabbed her wrist in time.

Rukia lowered her head, more tears falling. "Renji…"

Rage rolled over Renji's face. He gritted his teeth, trying to avoid hurting her wrist. Then, he lost his temper and slapped her. Not hard, but enough to shock her. Her eyes went wide, and she stopped crying. Renji was shaking. He had gone so far past what he ever wanted to do. She had scared him badly.

"For a monster like him," Renji whispered, still trembling. "…why would you hurt yourself any further?" Rukia started tearing up again. "Why would you give him anything? This isn't like you." Hesitantly, Rukia dropped the knife to the floor. Renji took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers. "Please don't scare me anymore."

Rukia sobbed. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. He held her softly, his propriety slowly returning. "I'm sorry I hit you. But I'll do it again the next time you try to hurt yourself."

Rukia nodded. "Thank you, Renji. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Unable to see his face, Rukia missed the conflict that passed over it. Nevertheless, he held her a little tighter.

Suddenly, Renji's head shot up, and he pushed her away. Rukia looked up curiously. "What's…" And then she stopped, because she heard it herself. The sound of a horse approaching.

Renji ran outside to meet it, drawing his bowie knife. He found it was unnecessary, but he kept it out anyway out of dislike for the rider. Rukia ran out after him, shocked to see who was approaching.

"Prince Byakuya!" she cried in surprise.

The prince barely acknowledged her before dismounting even before his horse had fully stopped. He addressed Renji, "You. What weapons do you have?"

"Weapons?" Rukia asked with trepidation.

Renji shrugged. "Plenty."

"What are you best with?"

Renji vaguely indicated his bowie knife by tightening his grip on it. Byakuya observed it for a moment and shook his head.

"Something bigger. What do you have that could kill a bear? Or bigger?"

Renji and Rukia were both taken aback at that. "_Bigger_?" Rukia repeated.

Renji held the prince's gaze for a long few moments. Then, apparently convinced by something he saw there, he sheathed his knife and jumped up to the roof. He rummaged in his bag for a moment, and produced a crossbow. Byakuya thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"That might do to distract it, but…"

Renji looked a bit offended by this. Nevertheless, he reached into his bag again. This time he produced a heavy, clinking bag. "Spearheads. How much time do we have?"

Byakuya considered. "Ten minutes."

Renji sighed, setting them back down. "In that case, it's crossbow or nothing. I can't make a sturdy enough spear to kill a bear in ten minutes."

"Crossbow it is, then."

Renji jumped back down carrying it.

"Let me see your quarrel," Byakuya said. Renji unwrapped a bag full of crossbow bolts. Byakuya picked one up and examined it. "These are well made. If the aim is good, one of these could cause some damage."

"It's good," Renji said, slightly snottily.

Byakuya looked him up and down. "Judging from your attire and weaponry, I gather you are a huntsman."

"Not 'a' huntsman. The royal huntsman, in fact," Renji replied with a shallow, insincere smile.

One of Byakuya's eyebrows twitched, and he very briefly glanced at Rukia. "I see." He handed the quarrel back. "Well, then. That is as much as to say your aim is as good as any in the country."

"Well deduced," Renji said, his scowl returning.

"Just wait, now, could one of you please tell me what's going on?" Rukia asked loudly.

They both glanced at her. "Enemy," they said in unison, though promptly glared at each other afterward.

"What kind of enemy is bigger than a bear?" Rukia demanded.

Byakuya the shook his head. "You won't believe me if I tell you. Just wait."

So they did. Byakuya with his sword drawn (and Sakura safely out of the way), and Renji with his crossbow and bag of quarrels by his feet.

"Let me ask you this, Huntsman," Byakuya asked, softly enough that Rukia could not hear. "Which way did you take to get here?"

Renji glanced at him in shock. "The…way we're facing…" he murmured.

Byakuya aimed a brief glare at him, then sighed. "I can hardly criticize you. I'm roughly doing the same thing now."

Renji glared. "Just exactly what are you doing here, by the way? This 'enemy' wouldn't have anything to do with you, would it?"

"Not in the least. I'm here because…"

"What?"

Byakuya coughed, turning away. "It's not important. Probably," he added under his breath.

"Probably?!" Renji demanded.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Both men looked over to see Rukia. Renji sighed. Byakuya's eyes widened. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked her.

Rukia was holding a boning knife. "What does it look like?"

Renji grumbled, "She knows how to use it."

"Yes, but to kill monsters or debone fish?" Byakuya asked, glibly.

"Both, I should hope," Rukia replied. "Renji probably knows this without my having to tell him, but I don't like people protecting me unless I have the same conviction to protect them too. It's part of my concept of honor, and I would like you to respect it."

Byakuya sighed, holding his head. "This is not an issue of honor. You are a princess. You cannot afford to die like this."

Rukia glanced at him. "So I see you do understand the importance of royalty, as long as it doesn't pertain to yourself," she said. Byakuya's eyes widened. "You, sir, are a prince, in case you have forgotten. If we follow your logic, we would both have to sit this out, not just me. And that would leave Renji all alone to face this monster, in which case we would likely all be killed."

"Hey," Renji grumbled.

"In spite of Renji's considerable prowess," Rukia added politely.

Renji nodded his appreciation.

"So what do you say?" Rukia concluded.

Byakuya watched her for a time. "I say…I think I love you a little bit."

Both Renji and Rukia stared at him in shock.

He seemed to realize what he had just said, and cleared his throat, with just a hint of pink on his cheeks. "…which is immaterial. In any case, I'll allow that your logic is sound. But will you do me the favor of using his knife instead? Yours is likely to do more harm to you than it will the monster."

Rukia blushed and accepted Renji's knife as he handed it to her. "Thank you," she murmured, to both of them.

"It's nothing," they both said in unison. Once again, this prompted a glare between them.

Moments later, a beast stepped forth from the undergrowth. Renji and Rukia both gasped, and Byakuya swallowed, now seeing it clearly for the first time. The beast sighed, and amazingly folded its hands before it politely.

"I had no intention of disturbing you," said the beast, and all three humans jumped back in surprise at its being able to speak. But gradually they all noticed that it was wearing clothes as well, and a massive sword was slung across its back. "But from your conversation, I gather my presence has already been discovered."

Renji glared at Byakuya, who pretended not to notice. The beast was not a beast per se, but rather quite clearly a wolf. An enormous wolf who spoke and stood on two legs. As well as evidently possessing manual dexterity.

"My name is Komamura Sajin. The truth is, I have no desire to fight you. My job was to find you, Abarai-san, and return to my benefactor with the knowledge of your whereabouts."

"Your benefactor. Meaning the queen," Renji grunted.

"I am not permitted to say."

Byakuya stepped forward. "It was very brave of you to come out. You must know that for our own safety, we cannot allow you to leave."

Komamura nodded. "I gathered as much. But on the contrary, my revealing myself at this time was not brave, but in fact rather cowardly."

"How so?"

"If I had left at full speed, I would be unable to cover my tracks. Since there is a very fine tracker in your midst, there is every possibility that one of you, riding on horseback, would be able to catch me up and kill me in a battle of attrition. Of course I would lose such a thing, due to exhaustion from running. Even if you could not catch me, which is a possibility, my tracks would still lead you directly to either my place of safety, or to my benefactor, revealing said identity."

"It's the queen," Renji said. "It shouldn't matter if we find out from you or from common sense."

Komamura tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Nevertheless, it is part of my instructions, and therefore I intend to honor my benefactor's wishes. In any case, for my own safety, I must now either capture or kill every one of you. At the very least, you, Abarai-san, who can follow me. Forgive me."

"Bite me," Renji shot back.

Komamura laughed. "I like your spirit. It is doubly difficult to kill you."

"Don't, then."

The giant shook his head. "It is too late now, unfortunately. Please prepare yourselves."

He reached up, and Renji and Byakuya expected him to grasp for his sword, but instead his paw swung at them with incredible speed which belied his size. Byakuya had to duck to the ground to avoid it.

"What the hell?" Renji demanded. "It's bare fist fighting?"

"Only for me, don't worry yourselves," said Komamura. "That way is more fair."

Renji growled and then addressed Byakuya as he was getting up and dusting himself off, "Is it just me, or is this guy's politeness starting to get really irritating?"

"I have to agree," Byakuya replied darkly.

With that, both men approached the giant, and Renji fired a shot which should have hit him in the shoulder. At the last moment, the beast dodged, but as he did so, Byakuya sliced deep into his forearm. The wolf yipped in a way that was surprisingly disarming, but in the next moment, his swung the arm back, heedlessly receiving another slice from Byakuya, and flung the prince backward through the air.

Byakuya landed hard in the dirt, and gasped. Clearly the wind had been knocked out of him. He would be down for another ten seconds, at least. Renji aimed a shot at the beast's chest, a larger target, and this one managed to strike a lung. The wolf choked up blood, eyes wide. He raised his fist in the air and brought it down. Renji would have been squashed, but Rukia pushed him out of the way. The giant fist landed on her leg, and snapped her shin bone right in two. She cried out in agony.

"You stupid girl," Renji cried, then he immediately fired another two bolts into the wolf's chest and shoulder.

The wolf staggered backward, but was nowhere near finished. Byakuya came up behind and sliced across his back, along the line of the sword there. Komamura arched his back with a howl, then hastily backed away. He glanced from Renji to Byakuya, who were both most uninjured.

The wolf bowed his head with a soft smile. "I underestimated you. I should have run."

"Yes, you should," Byakuya agreed, stepping closer as he flicked blood off his blade. Renji had already reloaded.

Komamura sighed. "But at this rate, I will be breaking one too many promises to my friend. Therefore, you'll forgive me if I take the coward's way out."

He turned, and to their shock, got down on all fours, and sped away faster than they could believe. Byakuya gritted his teeth and then brought over Sakura. He slapped the reins into Renji's hand. "After him," Byakuya grunted.

Renji nodded and mounted, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder and taking his knife back from Rukia. He raced off, following the blood trail.

"No!" Rukia cried, in spite of her pain. "Don't let him go alone!"

Byakuya knelt beside her and ignored her words, examining her injury instead. "It's a clean break," he said. "You'll be fine once we set it and give it a cast."

"No!" she cried, grasping onto his shirt. "You don't understand, Renji's convinced he's going to die protecting me! I should have gone with him!"

Byakuya hesitated for a moment. He bit his lip. "All right," he said. "But this is going to hurt like hell."

Rukia looked at him with surprise. He knelt down, and in one motion snapped the bone back in place. Rukia screamed in pain, hoping to God the children weren't near enough to hear. Next, Byakuya slung her up on his back, holding her legs and forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I'm going to run, so it's really going to hurt," Byakuya said softly.

Rukia nodded, thought already crying from the pain. "Yes. Please take me."

Byakuya nodded and took off after them. Surprisingly, he too was hoping that Renji wouldn't do anything rash.


	8. Chapter 8

Warning: somewhat graphic wound description.

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 8

Byakuya ran through the forest, following the trail of blood. Rukia gritted her teeth, for every step jarred her broken leg. She'd never known such pain. But she couldn't make a sound, or he might stop. And she had to get to Renji.

Please be safe, Renji. Please be safe. Please be safe.

Then, some distance ahead of them, they heard a strained cry. It wasn't clear whether it came from Renji or the wolf, but it was clear from the sound of that voice that the battle was over. Rukia was surprised to hear Byakuya's throat catch. He increased his speed.

When they found him, their worst fears were confirmed. He was not dead, but he lay on the ground with one leg propped up, his crossbow on the ground but still in his hand, and across his chest, a gash so large and deep he could not possibly survive. It was that wolf's sword, it had to be. Only a weapon that large could make a wound that size.

"Renji!" Rukia screamed, and she let herself fall even though it caused her leg agony. She knew Prince Byakuya wanted to stop her, but could not find the heart. She crawled over to him. "Renji, no…" she cried, her voice shaking. "What are you doing? You don't want to break our promise, do you?"

Renji was still lucid, breathing in short gasps, and he looked up at her. He held up his hand and she grasped it in both of hers. "Rukia…you're…so beautiful." Rukia sobbed and pressed his hand to her cheek. "Don't let him…take anything more from you…Rukia…"

She heard Byakuya gasp behind her. "Princess. Your friend, where is he?"

"What?" she asked, angry that he was interrupting them.

"Your friend, the boy. The one who healed my arm."

Rukia gasped and looked up at him. "Hanatarou…they'll still be at the mine, but I'm not sure where it is. They always head off to the west each morning."

Byakuya nodded and then seconds later he mounted Sakura and dashed off at a gallop, even though it was so dangerous to do so in the middle of the woods.

Rukia wasn't sure to hope just yet, so she wanted to talk as much as she could with Renji. She placed her hands on the massive wound to try to stem the bleeding, but when she pressed down, blood seeped over her hands. She gasped in horror, and ripped off the better part of her skirt. She placed it over the wound and held it down, as it was gradually dyed a deep red.

"Rukia…" Renji chided her. "Stop that. I told you, didn't I?" He chuckled weekly. "Have you had a look at your face? Who's breaking our promise now?"

"You're not dead yet, you asshole!" Rukia cried, using unusually crass language for her. She wiped her eye with the back of her hand and got blood all over her face.

His breathing got worse and worse, more and more muddy and shallow, but he still tried to talk. "This may…be cruel…but I'm glad you're…here," he said softly. Rukia still held down the cloth over his wound and cried helplessly. "I don't…want you to be…sad. But if I…die…I'm glad…you're with me. So I won't…have…to be scared." He smiled sweetly.

Rukia hated him at that moment. She had never seen anyone less scared in her life; he was saying that to make her feel better. The son of a bitch.

"Renji…" she sobbed. "Why do you have to go so far for me? I only want you to stay by my side." She lowered her head, sobbing. "Why can't you just do that?"

Renji closed his eyes, making her breath hitch for a moment. Then he lifted his hand, and placed it on her cheek. Ironically, his hands were still clean, as if he wanted nothing to do with saving his own life. His eyes opened again slightly.

"Even if I…had never wronged you…as I did…" Rukia bit back anger at that, knowing from the start that Yumichika had bewitched him into doing that, and he had still managed to resist. "Even if…I was not indebted…to your father. I still…love you." Rukia choked back a sob again. "And it's…too bad for you…that this…is how I show…my love." He smiled at her again.

"Don't smile like that," she whispered angrily, concentrating on stopping the blood. "And don't die! Goddamn it, don't die! Why can't you just do that?!"

Renji chuckled. "I'll do…my best…"

He wasn't able to talk any more after that. The blood flowed slower, but didn't stop. His breathing got weaker and weaker. His face grew so pale. Rukia could not stop crying. She couldn't see an inch in front of her nose, she was crying so much. Tears and snot were dripping onto Renji's shirt. Each passing second was agony.

And then, she could hardly believe it, but she heard hoof beats. Sure enough, Byakuya and Hanatarou soon appeared, though the boy looked terrified. He had probably never been on a horse before, and he was quite happy to get off.

"Hurry!" Rukia cried, sobbing. "He looks so pale, please hurry!"

Hanatarou ran over. Seeing he amount of blood, he swallowed. "Can you show me?" he asked softly.

Rukia hesitantly lifted the fabric from the wound.

Hanatarou went green, then he turned around and threw up. Byakuya patted him on the back. "It's your first time seeing a wound this big," he guessed, and Hanatarou nodded. "Can you help him?"

Hanatarou nodded again. "Yes. But you're going to have to carry me back." Without looking at Renji, he rolled up his sleeves. "I'll likely sleep for days afterward. And try and make sure I don't die also."

Byakuya nodded.

Hanatarou looked to Byakuya. "Also, I won't be able to heal him completely. Not even most of the way, only enough to save his life. You'll have to get him to some good healers after I'm finished."

"I understand."

Hanatarou turned, knelt, held his hands above the wound and closed his eyes. Again, he began whispering words that were too indistinct to be understood. But this time, not only his hands, but his whole body began to glow green. The light poured down into the gash in Renji's chest.

Seconds continued to pass. Hanatarou began to sweat. Yet slowly, slowly, Rukia was amazed as Renji's breathing grew more steady. She knew better than to be relieved just yet, but she held tight to Renji's hand and stroked his hair. At length, Byakuya came and knelt together with them. He mostly watched Renji, but now and then glanced at Rukia too.

Almost ten minutes passed. Then Hanatarou's green light began to fade. However at the same time, amazingly, Renji opened his eyes. He looked like death, but he had lost his 'happily going to die' expression.

Hanatarou muttered, "Get him…to a…" and then passed out on the ground.

"Is he all right?" Byakuya asked, as if it didn't concern him.

Rukia checked his pulse. She nodded. "He's just exhausted."

Without getting permission, Byakuya lifted Renji up and placed him on Sakura's back. "The best medical facilities in the area are at my castle." He looked back at Rukia. "I'm taking him there."

She nodded. "Please, I'm counting on you."

Byakuya hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about us. Please go."

After another momentary hesitation, Byakuya nodded tightly. He mounted behind Renji, who briefly grumbled, "You're not my type."

"Clearly you haven't lost your rapier wit," Byakuya muttered, and squeezed Sakura's flanks. He spared back a nervous glanced toward Rukia and Hanatarou. But he looked at the dying man in his arms and made up his mind. On his way through their little valley, he saw the children all waiting nervously at the house. He briefly stopped to tell them Rukia and Hanatarou needed help, and that he would be back soon too. Then he raced home toward the royal palace in Sakha.

…

A scullery maid shyly bowed before the queen; normally she would never get to see him so close. "Your Majesty, there is a…beast…who says he knows you, wanting a word in the grain cellar."

Yumichika frowned. "The grain cellar? Why?"

"He is gravely injured, milord. That was where we found him."

Yumichika's jaw tightened. For all his vanity and love of beautiful things, he did feel affection for Komamura. His loyalty, and humility. For that reason, Yumichika left him alone on his mountain, knowing that seeing him too often would lead to what happened between them last time, which was that Yumichika drew a sword at the wolf with almost no provocation. Yumichika sighed.

"Very well. I will-"

"Begging your pardon, milord," the maid interrupted. This earned her a sharp glare, and she continued in a trembling voice. "H-he has asked to speak with your brothers."

Yumichika observed her for a moment. Then he huffed. "He hasn't lost that considerate nature of his, obviously. Fair enough. Send either one of them and have them report back to me at once. And send down some healers, would you please? Finally, tell Komamura, that is the wolf's name, that if he shades his face, he is welcome to come and see me, if he is so inclined."

The maid bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Yumichika sighed. "Stupid wolf. What have you gone and done?"

Ikkaku claimed that he was too busy napping, and made Kenpachi go instead. Kenpachi was a bit annoyed, despite not having been doing anything in particular, but he went down anyway. Partly, he was a bit curious about this beast the servants were talking about.

He went down to the grain cellar to find the enormous wolf, who was even taller than he. The wolf was lying on his side, for despite the fact that he was seriously injured, he had wounds on both sides, so the healers prevented him from laying on his back. He opened his eyes with a tense expression of pain when Kenpachi entered.

"You must be the eldest brother, Kenpachi-san," said Komamura.

"Heh," said Kenpachi with his dangerous grin. "Aren't you smart?"

"I am much indebted to your youngest."

Kenpachi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So what's the deal?"

Komamura nodded. "I need to make my report to Yumichika. I hope you will convey it to him."

Kenpachi gave him a contemplative look, then nodded, bored.

"I have failed to protect his identity, so I will not ask for payment. That is the first message. However, I have found the huntsman, and the princess, as well as another man who looked to be a wealthy noble as well. He had black hair and pale skin, like the princess. I believe I dealt Abarai a fatal blow in the end, but he was alive when I left him, so I cannot be sure. The princess now has a broken leg, so I do not believe she will be moved any time soon. Additionally…she is now living in a hut in the forest, with six or seven children, I believe. I urge Yumichika to be cautious for that reason."

Komamura had to take a few deep breaths, as his lung was still punctured. "It is relatively easy to find their hideout, if one walks straight into the woods from here and heads northeast. However, I can draw him a map. Additionally, if you could please ask Yumichika if my job is done. If so, I will return home."

Kenpachi surveyed him for a moment. "Ikkaku was right," he grunted. "Yumichika should have kept you around."

Komamura gave a difficult laugh. "How kind."

Kenpachi went back up and conveyed this message (roughly) to Yumichika. The Queen thought for a long time over this information. "So she has a broken leg, and her huntsman is likely dead. Komamura did not fail me, that is certain." He sighed. "Please give him his money, and tell him not to leave until his injuries heal. Damned martyr." Yet Yumichika's face as he said this was somewhat tortured, and his mind appeared to be elsewhere as he continued. "Still…this confirms the prince of Sakha's involvement. We'll have to prepare for war, especially if I'm successful."

Yumichika sat back, thinking. "I saw his desperation when he thought I would harm her. The king seemed equally concerned." He laughed in self-deprecation. "Is there no limit to her charms, I wonder?"

Kenpachi had been observing his younger brother for some time, disliking this softer side of him. "So? Prepare for war?"

Yumichika took a moment, then nodded. "Yes." Then he stood. "But I'm…going down to see Komamura. Tell Ikkaku I want to have a meeting with both of you in the war chamber afterward."

"Roger," Kenpachi said, turning and leaving to find Ikkaku.

Yumichika bit his lip for a moment. Then he headed down to the cellar. When he got there, he found it empty, but for a couple of servants cleaning the blood off the floor. They jumped when they saw him, for the queen almost never came down here. They bowed deeply.

He waved a hand. "Yes, forget all that. Where is the wolf?"

"Your Majesty, his healers determined that he must be in bed. So they prepared him one in the stable."

Yumichika scoffed, briefly covering his face with one hand. "The stable. That's very fitting." Then he followed their directions and went there. Yumichika was so agitated, he did something completely out of character and got his shoes and the hems of his robe dirty without even noticing.

He found him easily, and stood outside the gate of the pen where his servants had wrapped some straw in a sheet for a makeshift bed. He turned so his silhouette was visible to those inside, but he couldn't see very well himself. Then he said, "You healers. Step outside for a moment."

Like the kitchen servants, they jumped when they recognized him. They hastily made their way outside, leaving not just the pen, but the whole stable, without being asked. Yumichika hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. Komamura had his back to him, as the healers had been working on both sides of his body. When Yumichika came in, Komamura's massive sword was resting against the wall, his shirt was folded on the floor, so his top half was bare. Unsurprisingly, laying on his side like this, with his shirt off, he simply looked like a massive wolf. Yumichika's jaw tightened when he saw the deep sword slash on Komamura's back.

Though Yumichika had never told anyone this, his reason for avoiding Komamura was slightly more complicated than just his looks, although that was part of it. Seeing Komamura made Yumichika angry with him, angry with himself, and a little angry with God. And the reason he got so angry…was something he never wanted to admit to anyone. In that state, he often snapped easily.

Komamura's head lifted a little without looking at him. "Yumichika?"

Yumichika scoffed. "You recognize my smell, but not my voice?"

Komamura chuckled a little. "Forgive me." Then he paused for a moment. "I'm…very grateful, but…did you need something more from me than your brother conveyed?"

"Hmm. You could say that," Yumichika replied softly. Then there was a long silence. "I told my brother to tell you this, but obviously you're getting your money. And I'll have you stay until your injuries heal, and not in the stable by the way. Did my servants ask you before bringing you here?"

Komamura sighed softly. "It was I who requested it. I assumed you would not want blood on one of your guest beds."

Yumichika was grateful Komamura could not see him, as his eyes started to sting, and at length a tear fell down his cheek. Trying to keep his voice as steady as possible, he said, "Fair enough. When they're done with you, I'll have them show you to a room."

"I see," Komamura said. "Thank you." Then another long pause. "Yumichika…"

"That's all I wanted to say," Yumichika said, turning as several more tears fell down his cheeks.

Komamura was silent for a moment, but as Yumichika went out the gate, he heard Komamura say, "It's good to hear your voice."

Yumichika gritted his teeth, as his tears fell with more conviction now. He scoffed and turned away, walking quickly back to the palace. He tried to avoid anyone, especially his brothers, seeing his crying face. He went to his room and locked the door. Now he finally noticed the state of his shoes and the hems of his robes. He sat on his bed and looked at them for a time. He took off one of his shoes and held it in his hand, in spite of the grime. Then yet more tears filled his eyes, and he sobbed softly, holding his shoe.

…

Rose, the strongest, carried Rukia back to the house, while Nova carried Hanatarou. Ishida and even Hiyori, who did often act as the leaders of the group, both looked even more concerned than the others. However, the indomitable Yachiru merely bounced alongside as they walked, smiling like always.

"If you were going to have some trouble, you should have called on Yachiru!" she said brightly. "I'll rip those bad guys to pieces for you!"

Even in her pained state, Rukia had to react with shock to that one. "To…pieces?" she murmured.

Rose chuckled slightly and spoke softly so as not to hurt her ears. "Yachiru actually comes from a warrior family, although she was an orphan before she could really know them. But she's easily the best fighter among us, you might say the only fighter in fact. In any case, she's someone you want to have around if there's trouble."

Rukia was amazed at hearing yet another inexplicable fact about these children. Truly, none of them was mundane or ordinary.

"S-so," Hiyori said at one point. "That rhubarb was in a pretty sorry state when he passed by us." She laughed awkwardly. "Dumbass. That's what you get for picking a fight you can't win."

Rukia heard the hidden message in her harsh words. "Byakuya will take care of him. He's taking him to the royal palace in Sakha, and he's getting him the best medical care."

Hiyori took in this information silently for a moment and then she laughed awkwardly. "Who said I wanted to know that?"

"Okay. I'm just making sure everyone knows."

"Good!" she grunted, though after than Rukia saw her bite her lip. Rukia wanted to smile at the cuteness, but in reality she was too nervous herself to do so.

…

Renji opened his eyes, laying on a soft bed. He felt so much better. And in fact, he'd never been on a bed this soft before. He felt so comfortable, he wanted to close his eyes again. Then he saw who was standing over him, and gasped.

He grabbed the prince's collar to bring him close and whispered, "Where is she?"

The prince hardly reacted but to narrow his eyes slightly. "Where do you think?"

"You left her alone?!"

The prince sighed, removing the invalid's grip from his collar. "With the children, technically."

"You son of a bitch!" Renji cried, attempting to get up and then felled by a deep pain. He lay gasping to try to recover, and red stained the bandages over his chest. He touched it softly. "I should have died," he murmured.

Byakuya nodded. "The boy saved you, the one with the healer's hands. If not for him, you would never have survived the journey here."

Renji gritted his teeth. "That's not what I'm saying you spoiled brat!" he shouted at him. "I should have died! I was no good to her anymore in that state. Now you've wasted all this time to help me, and left her on her own! Are you stupid?! Why would you look after me instead of her?!"

Byakuya closed his eyes, fighting back anger. "If you think I wanted to do this, you're mistaken."

"Then why?!"

Byakuya met his eyes. "When a woman you care about asks something of you, it's not an easy thing to say 'no'."

Renji snarled at him for a moment, then collapsed back in the bed, covering his eyes. "How could I have been so careless?"

With a bit of ill will, Byakuya commented, "Are you sure it was carelessness? Rather than incompetence, for example?"

"If you weren't a prince, I would vow to kill you someday."

Byakuya shrugged. "Fair enough. I'm not too fond of you, either." He considered. "Though in my case it's probably more than simple dislike. I would think there is some relation to your connection with Princess Rukia. I suspect I may be somewhat jealous over that."

Renji looked taken aback by his honesty, unable to reply.

Byakuya glanced at him with what may have been self-satisfaction. "That's different for you, I suppose?"

Renji turned away in annoyance. "Shut the fuck up. So what are you still doing here?! Go get her!"

Byakuya nearly smiled, closing his eyes briefly. "I wanted to stay until you opened your eyes." He rose and adjusted his sword. "Despite my jealousy, I seem to have taken a liking to you, huntsman."

Renji blushed in embarrassment mixed with anger. "I don't need to be liked by you." As Byakuya was leaving he called after him, "I'm borrowing one of your horses, as soon as I'm fit to ride!"

Byakuya merely waved at him without turning back.


	9. Chapter 9

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 9

"The biggest problem is their superior…hey! Hey!" Ikkaku snapped his fingers several times in front of Yumchika's face.

"Jesus!" cried Yumichika. "What are you putting your dirty hands in my face for?"

Ikkaku folded his arms and frowned at him, and Kenpachi did not look too pleased either. "Have you been listening? You're the queen, as you're so fond of reminding us. The queen needs to be involved in the war meetings."

Yumichika shook himself a little, rubbing his temple. "You're right. I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about how to handle Snow White."

Both brothers rolled their eyes. Ikkaku decided to play along. "Okay. Why don't you enlighten us?"

Yumichika smiled vaguely, his eyes distant. "I think I'd like to kill her in some exquisite way. She is, after all, beautiful, and I have difficult sullying things of beauty, if I can help it." He smirked at his brothers. "I have a few ideas, but I think I'll be using demon magic. And so flawlessly, she'll never know it's there."

The brothers, unsurprisingly, only feigned interest.

…

The children were hesitant to leave Rukia with her one good leg (and Hanatarou catatonic), and considering the danger from the queen, but she assured them she'd be fine, and told them they would only have enough to eat if they kept working. That convinced most of them. Ishida, Rose, and surprisingly Hitsugaya and Nova looked back at her a few times as they were going. She merely smiled and waved them off.

Rukia sat down heavily at the table. So much had happened. She was still terribly worried about Renji, but she trusted that Byakuya would come back soon with news. A couple of hours after the children left, she was surprised to hear a voice outside.

"Excuse me! Anybody home?"

She went out and opened the door to find a stout-looking farmer's wife standing there holding something white in one hand. She was a little plump and sweating; farmer's days started early too.

"I thought so," she said, smiling broadly. "I knew I'd seen a pretty girl around here before. My name's Millie, I'm from the farm down the way a bit." She indicated a somewhat populated area over the ridge. "Do you think I could come in for a bit, sweetheart?"

Rukia nodded hesitantly, thinking it unlikely a woman as…rural…as this could be an assassin for Yumichika. She smiled and let her inside. "Shall I make you some tea?" she asked politely.

"Oh no, dear," said the woman. "I've got to be back in a tick. I had a favor to ask, you see. Well, my daughter's getting married, and I'm trying to make her dress. She's about your size, and I don't know any other young girls, so I wondered if you could try this corset on for me?"

Rukia looked at it with interest. It was modest, but sturdy-looking, and had beautiful lapis lazuli trim. "Happy to help," she said, smiling.

The woman helped her get it on, and as she was tightening it, Rukia made conversation. "How old is your daughter?"

"She's sixteen this past February," said the woman brightly. She yanked on the strings.

Rukia gasped a bit; she did not have much spare flesh on her to begin with, so a corset (even if on the tight side) probably wouldn't do much. But she didn't want to be impolite.

"Actually, I just turned sixteen a few months ago," Rukia said. The woman tightened the strings again, and now Rukia's breath was getting labored. "It's…funny to think of marriage…at our age…"

The woman nodded. "Yes, I imagine so. But we all have our trials to go through, my dear. Tightening up the laces, as they say. Ha ha!"

She yanked them even tighter. Rukia was starting to get scared. She could only breathe in little gasps. "I…don't think…"

The woman pulled them tighter again. Rukia struggled to breathe, only able to take in the smallest breath at a time, and her breathing was growing faster. Then, her consciousness started to fade. Moments later, she collapsed against the wood floor.

"What a beautiful way to die," the woman commented, now speaking in a man's dulcet tenor. Then she merely walked away.

Moments later, a horse approached. It was Byakuya. He was just in time to see the woman walking away, and a flick of azure light that touched the hem of her skirt as she walked. His eyes widened. He raced into the house.

"Rukia?" he cried, then saw her lying on the floor, her face blue, her waist tightened almost into nothingness by a tiny corset. He immediately pulled a knife from his boot and sliced through the strings.

Rukia coughed and gasped, taking in breath like a sweet nectar. Byakuya grabbed her into his arms, partly because he thought it might help her breathe to be elevated, but mostly, if he was honest, because he was scared.

"Rukia," he murmured. "Can you hear me?"

Several tears dripped down her cheeks, but she nodded. "Thank you…" she rasped. "Thank you…thank you…"

She snuggled against his chest. His heart started pounding. He grew a little bolder, and caressed her hair.

"A woman…she looked so plain, I never thought…"

"Shh," Byakuya said, softly brushing her hair from her cheek. "Don't speak. You were blue a moment ago, just take your time."

Rukia chuckled. "You're always seeing me in such unattractive conditions. You were beautiful even when you fell off your horse." Byakuya blushed, though he normally didn't like getting compliments. "So beautiful…my heart almost stopped the first time I saw you." She laughed again. "I wonder what Yumichika's mirror would say if he asked it now."

Byakuya was drawn from his embarrassment to a moment of confusion. "Mirror?"

"Oh, perhaps we hadn't mentioned that. Apparently, it's the reason he's trying to kill me."

"Why would he kill you over a mirror?"

Rukia swallowed, her breath almost back to normal now. "It's a magic mirror. It always tells the truth. So he always asks it who is the fairest in the land, and until recently, the answer was always himself."

Understanding passed over Byakuya's features. "And now…it's you…"

Rukia sighed. "That's what Renji says, but…somehow I just wanted it to be a better reason than that. Beauty won't bring my father back, though I think part of Yumichika believes it might."

Byakuya, who knew the pain of losing one parent, but not two, shifted slightly, bringing her closer. "How old were you when he died?"

"Seven," Rukia answered, and her gaze grew somewhat distant; a trace of happiness, with sadness intertwined. "Yumichika loved him so dearly. Of course I did too, but Yumichika's love seemed so tempestuous. He was tortured when Father died. I felt such pity for him…even though at times I wished someone would feel it for me."

Byakuya closed his eyes, appreciating the feeling of her tiny body against his. "You say he hated you. So who did you talk to when your father died?"

Rukia paused with a small amount of surprise. "I don't know…Renji, I suppose." Byakuya's grip unconsciously tightened. "And some of the kitchen staff were quite friendly. But I didn't mind being by myself." Rukia gasped. "What am I thinking? How is Renji?" she asked, now looking up at him with large, pleading eyes.

Byakuya cleared his throat, trying to hide his blush at her closeness. "When I left him, he was already threatening my life for leaving you behind."

Rukia laughed in disbelief. "I'm so glad. Thank you so much, Your Highness. I owe you so much."

Some of Byakuya's passion cooled at being treated so distantly. "I hope we are friends now, Princess. There is no need to address me so formally, or to make note of acts of kindness. These need no recognition between friends."

His heart hastened when he saw Rukia blushing in his arms. "Friends…I see…that's better than 'servant', so I'm happy if that's the case."

Byakuya sighed. "I never said I wanted a servant."

Rukia frowned and bit her lip. "Then…if I may ask, what changed your behavior, once you found out about my birth?"

Byakuya felt a little uncomfortable now, and was actually trying to remember his father's words, since he wasn't good at explaining things like this. "Although I didn't want a servant…it is true that what I wanted was more like a companion. A conversation partner perhaps. Though that position would of course be inferior to me, I would liken it to courtier rather than servant."

"I see…" Rukia murmured.

However, in his head, Byakuya was thinking, 'You do?' since even he wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say.

"It wasn't that you disliked me because we were equals, but that it would have been rude to ask someone in my position to be subordinate to you."

Byakuya blinked. "Yes," he murmured.

Rukia hesitantly smiled. "I'm glad. We only just met, but the thought of being hated by you was painful."

Byakuya's heart ached, and he pulled her closer, drawing her head against his neck. "I don't think I could ever hate you."

Rukia paused for a moment. She seemed embarrassed, but not unwilling. But then she murmured, "Because I look like your wife?"

Byakuya gasped. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten that he said that. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I meant to tell you before, but didn't get the chance. You're only similar to my wife on the surface. Even one layer under the skin, you are completely different."

Rukia frowned, though he could tell she was blushing. "Is that a good thing? It doesn't sound like it."

He couldn't help a chuckle, and only as he did it did he realize how long it had been since he had laughed. In a bold move, he pressed his lips to her hair. He heard her breath catch. "It's not bad," he said.

They remained like this for some time, both with tinges of pink over their white cheeks, but eventually Rukia spoke again. "Where will you stay tonight, Your Highness?"

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched. "We are equals, you may call me by my name. And I shall stay here, in case something should happen at night."

Rukia sighed. "It's uncomfortable, and I don't think a prince should be staying in a place like this."

"And a princess should?"

Rukia thought about that. "I suppose…but I-"

"Don't say another word about it, you will not change my mind."

Rukia sighed. "Hiyori's going to pitch a fit."

…

Sure enough, later that evening…

"Now we have to suffer this giant, stick-up-his-ass turnip again!" Hiyori shouted, aiming most of her volume at Byakuya.

Ishida yanked her over toward himself and Rose. "Hiyori, you heard what happened today. It would never have happened if someone was staying with her during the day."

That made Hiyori pause with a pout, folding her arms and glaring at Byakuya. Then she addressed him again, "You're useful _now_. So you can sleep on the floor."

Byakuya nodded, though clearing hiding his annoyance. "Much obliged."

Hitsugaya snorted. "You should be. That's the fastest I've ever seen her change her mind."

"Except about a certain redhead we know," Rose added suggestively, and the others laughed. This earned him a sharp whack up the back of his head by a blushing Hiyori.

And the peaceful rowdiness returned to their little hut. Byakuya was clearly the only thing out of place, seeming to suck energy away from the corner he was standing in. Though oddly, he seemed to get along with Hitsugaya.

Rukia insisted on cooking, in spite of her leg, and she cooked rabbit stew that night. However she looked hesitantly at Byakuya as she was serving and then said, "There's not much better food for you now, perhaps you should go into town tomorrow and buy things you like."

"Ruki-Ruki's blushing!" cried Yachiru, laughing. She had quickly downed the stew, and at that point she leapt onto Byakuya's shoulder like he was a jungle gym. To his credit, Byakuya just closed his eyes and ignored her.

"Oh, Yachiru…" Rose said, sighing and covering his eyes.

"Byakushi!" cried Yachiru, now straddling his shoulders and starting to play with his hair.

Those in the room who noticed braced themselves for a tempestuous reaction, but fortunately it didn't come.

Byakuya did sigh lightly. Then he said, "If I recall, from your introductions, this girl is older than you, is she not, Rukia?"

Rukia winced, seeing the rat's nest that Yachiru was making of Byakuya's hair, though he calmly kept his eyes closed and his body still, almost as if he was meditating. "Yes…Now, um, Yachiru-chan? Do you suppose you could play with my hair instead? And I'll do yours, how about that?"

"Shut up, dork," Yachiru said with a big grin.

Again Rukia was caught off her guard by Yachiru's occasional aggressiveness.

Ishida sighed. "You can just pick her up and put her down, Your Highness. I think she'll stop if you do that."

Byakuya smoothly did so, evidently more annoyed than he let on, reaching behind his head to grab her under her arms, then gently bring her back down to the floor. "Aw, Byakushi got angry," Yachiru said, laughing.

"That was your fault," said Ishida, returning to his food.

But Byakuya accepted a bowl of stew, even though Rukia was somewhat embarrassed to be serving such haphazard food to a prince.

But everyone settled down for the evening, Rukia in her rocking chair, Byakuya on the floor near the door. Rest came easily to the children who had been working hard all day. Not so easily for the other two. Unknowingly, they were thinking about each other long before they finally slept.

The next day, Rukia was getting used to the children's schedule, so she was up just before them, and had food ready only a little later than usual, as a result of being slow-moving. They noisily ate, thanked her, and headed off for the day. Byakuya, a heavy sleeper as always, did not seem bothered by the noise.

It was then that Rukia happened to glance up at the window sill. To her surprise, there was a note, and something wrapped in pretty fabric. She was amazed she hadn't noticed it while she was preparing breakfast, it was so beautiful. She picked up the note first. Inside it said this:

"Rukia,

While I was absent from you briefly,

I saw this, and thought of you.

It was my mother's. I would be very happy

If you would use it.

Byakuya"

Rukia's heart pounded. She gently lay the wrapped item on the table and opened it. Inside was a beautiful ivory comb. She blushed with a smile, and reached to touch it. Her fingers brushed over the spines. Within seconds, she felt very ill, and her vision started to go black. That was the last thing she remembered.


	10. Chapter 10

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 10

Yumichika set down his mirror with a sigh, and rested his head on his hand in anguish. "Missed again," he murmured.

Kenpachi laughed. "I guess that kid was born under a lucky star."

"It's not _funny_!" Yumichika cried, slamming his fist on the table. He ran a half through his hair to calm himself. After a moment, he sat back, folding his arms. "Have you seen Komamura today?"

Kenpachi shook his head. Ikkaku said, "One of the servants said he's almost fixed up, apparently."

Yumichika's head whipped up, and his brothers looked at him quizzically. "Oh," he murmured. "I see."

"You seem awfully keen on him, considering he's everything you despise," Ikkaku commented absently, leaning his elbow on the table.

"Watch your mouth. How could I possibly been 'keen' on that monster?" Yet Yumichika's eyes as he said this betrayed him.

Kenpachi and Ikkaku exchanged a glance. Kenpachi smirked. "What if you used your magic to make him pretty?"

To the surprise of the other two, Yumichika blushed and turned away. "That's not feasible. It's almost impossible to maintain a spell like that. Especially considering the size of the job. For it to be permanent, it would put a constant strain on my own body, I'd probably be unable to use magic ever again."

Kenpachi shrugged. "So don't then. Find yourself some happiness instead."

Yumichika stood up abruptly. Despite already knowing the situation, even his brothers were surprised at the anguish on his face. He turned and began to walk away. "Fuck you. Don't talk as if you understand."

…

Rukia slowly opened her eyes. She felt like hell. She closed her eyes again for a moment and then hesitantly opened them again. A moment later, a blond head appeared in her peripheral vision, and then a relieved face.

"Oh, she's back with us," said Rose, with a soft smile.

A moment later, her whole field of vision was filled with worried faces. "Ruki-Ruki…" said Yachiru, showing a rare amount of sadness.

"Moron!" Hiyori cried, looking pale and a little scared. "Two men in the house and you still manage to end up like this! What's wrong with you?"

Hitsugaya sighed, and was soon out of her field of vision, though she heard him say, "Leave her be. They were here, but they weren't much use."

Nova grabbed Hitsugaya's arm, and for the first time since Rukia had met him, he spoke. "Hanatarou saved her."

Hitsugaya sighed and touched Nova's hand. "You're right, my bad."

"I swear to God!" Hiyori roared, spinning on her heel and yelling at the ceiling. "What is that gigantic pylon for anyway, if not to stop something like this?!"

"Excuse me for being a gigantic pylon," said a deep voice.

All the children jumped and Rukia managed to lift her head. Byakuya walked in, set some firewood next to the stove and placed some herbs on the table.

He loosened his cravat, which Rukia was amazed he had kept on all this time. "I fetched the herbs Hanatarou asked for."

"Oh, my mistake," Hiyori said, grandly. "Clearly he can be used to fetch and carry."

"Hiyori…" Rukia murmured, and at the sound of her voice, the room went silent. Rose turned to her and clasped her hand. "It was my fault. You can get angry at me, if you like."

"It was a little bit Ruki-Ruki's fault," Yachiru said. Then she grinned at the rest of the room. "It's not stupid people's fault that they're stupid, but it is their fault if they don't learn the first time."

Rukia laughed. "I can't deny that. But you said Hanatarou saved me…" she glanced toward his cot, which was still occupied. "How could he do that in the state he was in?"

Byakuya had been watching her but now he looked away, turning to the stove and putting on a couple of new logs. His expression had reverted back to the emotionless face he had when he first met her.

Ishida said quietly, "Apparently, he was able to wake Hanatarou in time. Though he's hardly spoken since then, except for what you just heard. And Hanatarou is out of the game for a while again."

Rose patted her hand. "We all saw the note. Nobody really blames you, except Yachiru," he added, rolling his eyes. "We all might have made that mistake. A poison comb, huh? What weird taste that queen has. Although…Prince Byakuya on the other hand…"

Rukia felt a flush of shame come to her cheeks. "He does blame me."

"No, no, my dear! Quite the opposite, unfortunately for him." Rose sighed, watching him. "I don't envy him right now."

Rukia followed his gaze again, watching Byakuya's back as he silently tended the fire. Then she hesitantly sat up.

"Wait, I don't think you should…" Ishida began.

Rukia nodded. "My head hurts a little, but that's just what I get for not being cautious. Otherwise I feel fine. Actually…a little too fine…"

She lifted up her (ruin of a) skirt, and saw that, apart from some bruising and cuts on the surface, her leg was back to a normal shape again.

"This is incredible…how could he do that while curing me of the poison?"

"According to him, that was the easy part," Hitsugaya said, becoming a part of the conversation again, as he and Nova sat down after having apparently some sort of silent discussion. "Healing a leg is just fusing fibers and reconnecting tissue. A poison is more complicated."

Ishida nodded. "Yes, that's true. In normal medicine, a broken leg only takes time. Your body already knows how to do it. Poison is impossible for your body to handle on its own. It affects your whole system, and there are so many types, it would be impossible to treat if you didn't already know ahead of time." He nodded to the fire. "Fortunately, this time we did. Now of course, it's on the fire."

Rose addressed Rukia softly, "Prince Byakuya wouldn't permit it to be in the house. But it would be irresponsible to throw it away. When the suggestion came up, he was happy enough to burn it." He shrugged. "Bone takes a while. In fact, it'll be half the night, I'm sure."

Rukia's eyes passed from Byakuya to Hanatarou, then once again she lowered her head in shame. "My life isn't worth all this," she murmured, so softly she could barely hear it herself.

Rose turned back to her. "Did you say something?"

Rukia was silent for a moment, and hesitantly brushed her hair back out of her face as she was deep in thought. "I just want this to stop. Is it cowardly of me to say that?"

Ishida sighed. "No. I think we're all just wishing you had someone better to protect you than one semi-useful man and seven children."

She saw Byakuya's back twitch at being referred to in such a way, but he said nothing, continuing to tend the fire. She didn't notice, but Nova got up at that point and was absent in the kitchen with Byakuya for a while.

"That wasn't really…what I meant," Rukia murmured darkly. "If Renji were here, he'd slap me, for what I'm thinking." She felt a sudden chill in spite of the warmth in the cabin, and tucked her legs up to her chest. "But I don't know how better to protect you all. If my birth is an excuse for repaying all your kindness with suffering, then…I don't…need it…"

Ishida, Rose, and even Hitsugaya and Yachiru, were taken aback when they realized what she was implying. They all got ready to berate her for it, but then Nova appeared. He stood over Rukia until she looked up at him. He lowered his hands, proffering her a cup of tea. She hesitantly accepted it, and her line of dark thoughts was somewhat interrupted.

Nova sat beside her, and to her disbelief he murmured in a low, soft voice, "Two times a day. So Hanatarou says."

Rukia gazed in wonder for a moment. She felt her eyes sting with tears she wanted to hold back. She met Nova's eyes. "Thank you, Nova."

He tried to hold her gaze, but his will broke and he glanced aside with a blush, then he disappeared back into the kitchen again.

"I…thought he was a mute…" Rukia murmured after he was gone.

Hitsugaya snorted. "I doubt we'd call him 'Bashful', were that the case."

"You also didn't speak to me much before either, Hitsugaya-kun."

Ishida and Rose startled chuckling mischievously, while Hitsugaya gained a soft blush too. He scratched the back of his head. "It's normal to be a little distant with uninvited guests."

For some reason, Hiyori returned and whacked him on the head.

"Ow! Jesus!" he cried, holding his head. Rukia was surprised at the childlike expression on his face; it was the first time she'd seen him this way.

"Che!" Hiyori snorted, blowing a misbehaving piece of hair out of her face. "What are you blushing for, you little munchkin? You think she fancies you?"

Hitsugaya's whole face went red. "Who asked you, monkey woman?! I never said anything like that!"

"Oh ho ho!" said Rose, gleefully. "His true feelings at last."

Ishida and Yachiru were both (badly) hiding their giggling.

"What true feelings, Rose, you bastard?!" Hitsugaya now directed his rage at him.

Rukia's eyes were wide. They were all acting so much more vibrantly than before, and she hadn't thought they were dull. It almost seemed like…they had relaxed maybe? Though of course there was little change in Ishida or Rose, who had always been pleasant with her. But they both had less effort written on their faces.

Rukia sighed. "I'm…sorry if I scared you all."

Only moments after she had said this, Hiyori grabbed one side and Yachiru grabbed the other, and they both began pulling at Rukia's hair in opposite directions.

"Ow ow ow!" Rukia cried, a tear forming in one eye.

A moment later, Yachiru jumped in her lap and Hiyori rested her elbow hard on top of Rukia's head. She glanced away in disinterest, picking her ear. "What was that? I didn't quite hear you. Did you say you'd do all my laundry _and_ give me extra meat at dinner? That's what I heard."

"I heard 'candy'!" said Yachiru, grinning.

"I think I heard a ki-" Hiyori's feet squashed Rose's face before he could finish this sentence.

Ishida coughed. "In other words, Rukia-san," he said. "I think I'm speaking for most of us at least when I say, we don't need to ask each other favors or apologize for protecting each other."

"Does that mean…I'm one of you?"

There were some general smiles and embarrassment, and then Hiyori's elbow came down hard on her head again.

"Ahhh...no one's ever done that to me before…it hurts so much…"

"I hope it does, you whiner," said Hiyori with a huff. "If you're up and about then can you please do something about the little coal fairy over there?" She thumbed backward at Byakuya, who seemed to be successfully tuning them all out. "All he's got is his pretty face, and at this rate it's going to be permanently stained in the shape of the grill over our stove. Not that it matters to me." She paused for a moment, glaring at him. "Also, as time goes on, he's sucking all the joy out of our lives."

"That part is true," Hitsugaya muttered.

Rukia nodded hesitantly. Though even as she did so, she wasn't sure she knew the first thing she could say to him to make him feel better. She imagined what it would be like if it was her name that poisoned him. Even if she had done nothing wrong, she might never forgive herself.

She started to get up, but Nova came back over, planted a hand on her shoulder and pointed resolutely at the tea. She smiled up at him gratefully, and obediently finished it before she went to talk to Byakuya. She bit her lip, hesitating before she entered the kitchen. The aura around him was indeed stormy.

Softly, she came up behind him and leaned a little on the sink. "Can I help?" she asked him.

"I would rather you didn't."

She took a breath in through the heavy atmosphere. This was not going to be easy. "You saved my life again," she said.

"That's questionable," he returned.

"What is? You found me on the ground, once again, and even thought to wake Hanatarou, didn't you?"

He suddenly stopped what he was doing. Though his expression remained the same, she could see his jaw muscles working. "That's not exactly how I would put it," he said darkly. He paused a moment, then added another block to the fire. "Perhaps, if I had been woken by you falling, there might be some truth in what you say."

"What did wake you then?"

He shrugged. "Chance. I shifted and the blanket they gave me fell to the side. The cold woke me. I don't know how long you were laying there before I found you."

Rukia had to admit that sounded pretty bad, though of course she didn't say so. She tried shrugging casually. "Why does it matter what woke you?"

He slammed the furnace shut loudly, then stood and brushed his hands casually as if he had had no outburst of anger just now. "Why? Good question." His voice and face were still calm, but his whole body was tense, and there was a hidden bite in his tone. "It shouldn't have to matter at all. If I had had a life of hardship, or even one of honest humility, and was able to rise without a servant waking me, it wouldn't have mattered. Because in that case, your life would never have been in danger in the first place. And much though I admit most of the blame in this case," he slammed his fist on the cold metal, producing a resounding clang that stopped all other noise in the house, "Princess, there is a limit to how trusting a person can be."

He turned to her, and his eyes were cold, as if they didn't see her at all. "If I had something to give you, I would have given it to you. I'm not the sort of romantic who delays giving gifts until they are emotionally significant. I spare no such consideration for anyone, lover, friend, or family." Now his tone took on a note of cruelty. "You seem to know so much about me. Did nothing about that seem strange to you?"

Though Rukia had not had much contact with men her own age (and in truth Byakuya was older), she was very used to passive aggression. In this case, it was not his anger that was saddening to her. It was that she was surprised by it. Perhaps some part of her had believed he was more like her father than he was like Yumichika. Had she simply been dazzled by his beauty? She didn't think she was the type to be deceived by appearances. But maybe that's what she was. Much good though it did her to know that now.

And yet, she could not break down at a time like this. After all, he was right. And crying did not work to diffuse anger like this. Even if it did, she would feel like a coward for letting her own feelings dictate someone else's. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, but she kept her head lowered in case she lost control of her emotions.

"There is no error in what you have said. Your accusation is well-founded, and I do not have words to apologize for the trouble I have caused you." Though her head was down, she saw one of Byakuya's feet slide minimally backward, away from her. "It is unfair to ask anyone to look after someone so careless with her own life, and I should never have imposed upon you. Your Highness…" she took a deep breath, knowing this was going to hurt her a lot. "…of course, it is still your decision, and I would not presume to suggest you leave before I can return your kindness, but perhaps…it is too much to ask you to stay any longer."

Byakuya took a step backwards. He didn't move again for a time. "I…" He paused for a time, and she could just see his fists clench at his sides. "I see. Then, would you prefer it if I were gone?"

Rukia wasn't sure how to answer. "I can't ask you to stay," she said softly.

"You never did in the first place," Byakuya murmured. He turned his body halfway toward the door. "I do not…intend to abandon a duty that I have accepted. But perhaps I can better serve you as a prince than as a protector. If you would prefer that, then I will leave tonight."

Rukia gasped, though still unable to lift her head. "But…riding at night is…"

"Sakura is familiar with it, and very obedient to me," he murmured. He picked up his over shirt and sword, which he had placed in the corner of the room. He slid the sword in place. Then he was still for a long few moments again. "I wish…for your sake…that I were a better man."

Finally, Rukia had to look up. He was already turning away, but she was stunned by the emotion visible in his face. Compared to a normal person, it was still very subtle, but Rukia could see that his thoughts were written right on his face. She gasped and moved to follow him, but he was already gone out the door.

She stood there still for a moment. Then the tears she'd held back finally made their way down. She covered her face with her hands. "What have I done?"

Surprisingly, Yachiru came in and hugged her around her waist without a word.

"Yachiru-chan…" she murmured tearfully.

The others came to stand in the doorway as well, obviously able to hear everything that was said just then. Hiyori scratched her head.

"Well…you were both wrong just then. But he still acted like a dick, so I think you're okay."

Rukia sniffed. "You think I shouldn't have asked him to leave?"

"A real man would have stayed without being asked," said Rose, proudly. "Think of your redheaded friend, for example. Would he have left if you asked him to?"

Rukia thought and then shook her head. "I suppose not. Well then, when you said I was wrong, you meant…"

"Earlier!" Hiyori cried, waving her arms. "The thing earlier." She sighed. "The truth is, we all think you ought to have been more careful. Even I think a romantic gift from that lummox would be suspicious."

"I see…"

"Thus, you were both at fault," Hitsugaya said.

"Though that was no excuse for a temper tantrum," Ishida added, pushing up his glasses. Hiyori huffed and folded her arms and Rose and Nova nodded.

"So…what should I do?"

Most of them shook their heads. Hiyori threw her hands up in a shrug. "What can you do? How 'bout just wait for the…other one to come back," she blushed here, "and in the meantime, try look a little bit less pathetic."

Rukia started tearing up again, almost comically. "Do I look pathetic?"

With sighs, almost the whole room nodded. Yachiru added brightly, "Yup! Just like a plow-horse after a long day!"

Rukia actually chuckled a little. "I've never had such good friends that they could be so honest with me." Then she started to cry again. "I'm so glad I found you all!"

This prompted some more sighs and some more hugging, and finally they made her get in bed. They didn't tell her, but Hiyori had been lending her hers, and the person herself took up a position in the rocking chair. As things were quieting down, Hitsugaya got up, saying he was taking a leak.

He came outside, then closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh. Without even looking, he said, "You heard all that?"

Sakura nickered, though of course Hitsugaya had been addressing his rider, who was clearly still just around the corner. "Yes."

"You still going to leave?"

A long pause.

Hitsugaya sighed, scratching his stomach. "Well, I'm not going to stop you. Just wanted you to know where you stand. Glad Nova got the message to you."

A sigh. "I'm not quite sure how he did that, by the way, he didn't seem like he was speaking to me out loud."

"He has his ways. You would too if you were too shy to talk most of the time." He pushed off the door. "Right. I'm going back inside then. You have any message you want to leave behind?"

No answer.

The boy yawned. "Suit yourself. We'll hope to see you again. Give our regards to the redheaded rhubarb." With that, he went inside. Byakuya was silent for a moment, and gripped Sakura's reigns tighter in his hand, mounted, and was gone.

…

The next morning, Rukia was amazed to wake up and find that the children had already left for the day. The kitchen was a disaster of course, much worse than normal. She gathered that having someone else cook for them meant that they had already forgotten what little they knew. So she started cleaning up.

She jumped when she heard a knock at the door. She stared at it for a long time. "Hey, Bonehead, I forgot something."

"Hiyori!" she said happily, and hastened to the door.

She opened it to find Hiyori holding something out like it was dog poo, and with a similar expression on her face. "Here. It's not a present."

Rukia held out her hands and accepted it. It was a beautiful, delicious-looking red apple. She smiled happily. "Is this for me?"

"I said it's not a present, dumbass! We found them, and I thought you'd make a stupid, sad face if you didn't get one." She folded her arms in a huff.

"That's so sweet," she said, holding it close. "Can I eat it?"

"Che," Hiyori scoffed. "None of my business."

"Thank you."

Rukia took a bite. She chewed. She swallowed. And she could not believe how foolish she had been. Hiyori had turned back around with a wicked smirk, and stuck out her tongue with a flicker of azure light. Then she started to grow taller.

Rukia tried to scream, but couldn't. She backed into the house out of fear, but the fake Hiyori only followed her, as her unruly blond hair became silky black, and grew out past her shoulders. Rukia stood shaking with terror, as Yumichika and none other stood there before her.

"How does it taste, Rukia?" he asked her in his soft tenor.

She tried to speak, but found she couldn't even open her mouth. She could barely move.

" 'Born under a lucky star', huh?" he commented, turning around and picking up the apple Rukia had dropped. "I suppose you must be, to be so gullible and yet to escape me at least three times. Four, if you count Komamura." Rukia was vaguely surprised to see a flicker of some uncharacteristic emotion there, but it vanished in moments. "I hesitated using this spell, since it's very effective, but unfortunately can be easily broken, under the right circumstances. However, it's nice that you'll be having trouble speaking by now but you can still hear me, since there's something I really wanted to say to you."

Yumichika leaned down to speak in her ear, elegantly sweeping his tresses off to one side to do so. Then he murmured, "I could give a rat's ass if you're beautiful or not."

Rukia's eyes widened.

Yumichika withdrew slightly to look her in the eyes. "I had more than enough reason to hate you before that." His jaw tightened and suddenly he grabbed her by the throat. She tried to gasp, but could only breathe through her nose. Yumichika forced her onto the ground, still holding her throat. "For having his love…" Yumichika whispered to her. Rukia felt a drop of warmth hit her cheek, though she could not see his face from this angle. "…for having his love, and for abandoning him before he was cold. For that, I will never forgive you." He sighed with a shaking voice. "Now go…"

He slowly released his grip on her, and gracefully he rose to his feet, although she couldn't really see well any longer. "Go and sleep a dreamless sleep. Stay an object of beauty, unable to touch, or see, or love, for the rest of time. Goodbye, Rukia."

Rukia's consciousness faded.


	11. Chapter 11

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 11

Two days had passed since the last time Byakuya had seen Rukia. He tried not to think about whether or not she was all right; he trusted that an incident like that would make her more wary, and he trusted the children to have good sense. Even more, he tried not to think about how much she must hate him by now. The image of her head bowed to hide her sadness was never far from his mind, much though he wished it were.

Now, Byakuya headed down to the infirmary, clad in full armor, with a claymore and large crossbow tucked under one arm. Though he normally kept his hair loose, it was now pulled up in a tight paper tie, high on his head like a horse's tail. His armor was black, to match Sakura, with the symbol of his country, three sakura blossoms inside a triangle, painted in pink over his heart and shoulders. He was not the only one. Every now and then an armored soldier would pass by him, saluting instead of the customary bow when they noticed him. He paid them no regard.

He arrived at Renji's bedside, finding him sitting on his bed, flexing his arm and rolling his shoulder, not at all surprised that he was already out of bed. Renji actually smiled when he saw him, knowing what his presence and attire signified.

"We're going back!" Renji cried.

"Yes." Byakuya stopped beside his bed and dropped the weapons he was carrying. "I thought these would suit you. I didn't ask, but I assume you can use a sword?"

Renji made a face, looking up at him. "If you want me to cut your arm off? Sure."

"I trust you," Byakuya said, humorlessly, not sounding at all trusting. "And it's true that my army is preparing to march, but actually you and I are going a little ahead of the others."

"That's what I've been waiting to hear!" Renji said.

"Didn't you used to be…more…quiet? I liked you better that way," Byakuya muttered, turning and folding his arms to wait for Renji to finish getting ready.

"Kiss my ass, Your Highness!" Renji said with a disarming grin, his bright tone a complete mismatch with his harsh words. He slipped his shirt on.

Byakuya frowned. "I asked my people to throw that shirt away. Where's the new one I prepared for you?"

Renji scoffed. "I'm only taking those," pointing to the weapons, "because they're useful. What do I need a new shirt for? It's just going to get torn and dirty in battle anyway. I always thought it was silly the way some people dress up for battles." Renji froze, since as a typical male, he hadn't paid much attention to Byakuya's attire except that it signified war. Sure enough, when he turned, in addition to the vein popping in Byakuya's forehead, he saw that the man was clearly trying to make a point with his image. He cleared his throat. "Mind you, on some people…"

"Your charity is unnecessary."

"Thank you." Renji resumed getting dressed. He noticed Byakuya making the smallest sigh, and Renji's lip twitched in annoyance. Some of his anger from the past couple of days returned. "You still don't want to talk about why you left her again?"

"I recall I made my stance quite clear. Do I seem like a person on whom persistence pays off?"

Renji made a face, then shook his head in exasperation. "You do know how to push my buttons, Your Highness."

"You're an awfully spirited young man, aren't you?" said Byakuya, closing his eyes coldly. "Perhaps I should poach you for the position I was going to offer Princess Rukia. Although of course, the sight of your face will be less pleasant to see each day, and possibilities for marriage plunge into the abysmal."

Renji ground his teeth, then gestured at the prince with the buckle of the belt he was about to put on. "I may not have said so, but I don't know how to pick a fight with you! It's half compliments, and most of the time I don't know what you're really trying to say, and just…look, do you want to pick a real fight with me, or no?!"

Byakuya had been watching the belt buckle rather than Renji as he spoke, which further infuriated him. But Byakuya merely looked up at him and said, "Oh, a fight." He glanced skyward in contemplation. "Is that what we were doing?"

Renji's jaw muscle twitched. "That's payback for what I said about your armor, isn't it?"

"Who can say? Let's go."

"Hey!"

Byakuya led them to the stables, where he saddled Sakura for himself and a strawberry roan called Zabi for Renji. Byakuya gave a sideways glance as Renji admired the gelding, stroking his nose. Byakuya had selected Zabi because of his strength and even temperament, but honestly few people were able to get so close to him so easily. Sometimes it happened, as with Byakuya's and his father's horses, that horse and rider met with open hearts and formed a bond immediately. If they came out of this battle favorably, Byakuya decided he would give him Zabi as a reward.

Once Byakuya had made sure Zabi's saddle and tack were securely in place, he turned and mounted Sakura, who had been waiting patiently. Renji mounted Zabi, and again to Byakuya's surprise, the two easily walked out of the stable in front of him. Once they were on open ground, Renji turned back.

"Which way is Rukia?"

Byakuya came up beside him, but not for long. "Directly east. This way," he said, and squeezed Sakura's flanks. The stallion shot off, perhaps wanting to show off for Zabi, who was one of the many geldings who got under Sakura's skin.

Sure enough, both Renji and Zabi soon caught them up, and they headed into open country at a slightly faster pace than was probably safe. As they rode, Byakuya was very impressed that Renji was able to match pace with him for the most part, even if he was not going at full speed. Though, it must be said that Renji was not completely able to hide his terror. As Byakuya correctly surprised, being a commoner Renji could count on one hand the number of times he had been on a horse.

In spite of this, Renji approached him. "Let me ask you one thing," he said loudly, to overcome the wind and hoof noise. "If everything goes well…are you going to propose to Rukia?"

Byakuya's lips parted. He should not have been surprised by this question, yet somehow the idea had been only floating at the back of his mind until now. It had not yet fully formed as a though. He stayed silent for a moment, and considered pretending he hadn't heard. Finally he said, "Why would you ask me that? You hide your interest very badly."

He saw Renji blush, though he was looking forward with a serious expression. "I almost chewed your head off once for implying something like that. You've got balls to do it again."

"Not much point in hiding it now. You can be honest, she's not here."

Renji glared at him. "Are you asking me if I love her, or if I intend to marry her? I think you know the answer to both anyway! I'm asking you!"

Byakuya cast his gaze aside, knowing full well it was childish of him to turn the conversation back like that. "Very well. Then which is it that you want to know? Do I love her, or do I intend to marry her?"

Renji scowled. "The latter."

Byakuya was silent for a long time, and his grip on the reins tightened, causing Sakura to chomp at the bit to chastise him for it. Finally, "I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I don't think I should. Why?"

He was surprised that Renji watched him for quite a while after he said this. "Is there something you dislike about her?" he asked finally.

Byakuya nearly fell off his horse. This man was clearly in love with her. Why was he getting defensive at a time like this? "Not at all. If anything, it's quite the opposite. What are you thinking?"

"Thinking of Rukia, asshole prince," Renji grunted, at a volume he could barely hear over the horses. "What's wrong with wanting my best friend to be happy?"

Byakuya refrained from scoffing when he heard "best friend". Much though it might be accurate, it was a misleading way to refer to one's beloved. "If you're so concerned, why not marry her yourself?"

Byakuya took in a quick breath as there was suddenly a claymore pointed roughly in his direction. Renji said, darkly, "I said I'm no good with these things, right? Even if I only want to scare you, I might cut your arm off. I said that right?"

"You did."

Renji glared at him, without lowering his sword. "The next time you dishonor Rukia like that, even in implication, I'm drawing this thing, and I'm just letting it do whatever it wants. Are we clear, Your Highness?"

Byakuya nearly smiled. He closed his eyes briefly in acknowledgement. "Understood." Renji put away the sword. "But you must realize, you are my main reason for thinking I cannot make such a request of her."

Renji's lips parted in shock as he stared at him. "What does that mean?"

Byakuya tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps a vulgar metaphor would be best…like urinating in a public place alongside a horse, for example."

Renji stared at him. Then he bit his lip, his eyes tearing up. He was clearly using every ounce of his strength not to laugh, given the seriousness of the topic.

Byakuya sighed and ignored him. "Alongside that level of…aptitude, any man would feel unworthy."

Renji's laughter faded. "Wait…was that a real compliment? Like not one of those backhanded ones you've been giving the last two days?"

"Take it as you will."

"Shit," Renji sighed. "It's harder and harder to dislike you. Backhanded compliments and all."

Byakuya wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he said nothing.

"But you know…whatever feelings I might have…it doesn't mean much unless they're returned. Not that it would anyway, as I've said for about the tenth time, I won't ever let her marry a commoner."

Byakuya's eyes widened. He had gathered that that was Renji's reason by his behavior, but it still made his chest ache a little on his behalf to hear it out loud.

"What I mean is…she doesn't. Not for me."

Byakuya's mind went back to her face as she cried over him, when she thought he was dying. How she had Byakuya carry her through the woods with a broken leg, even before she knew what had happened. He sighed. "I don't know about that."

Renji shook his head. "No. God forgive me, I have looked for signs before. I don't know why…it doesn't matter. But I wasn't sure until I saw her face when she was rejected by you." Renji's expression took on a hint of torture. "I've never seen her make a face like that before." He shot a glare at Byakuya. "Nor do I again, by the way. If you're not going to marry her, fine. But if you are, you'd better fucking treat her right, that's all I'm saying."

Byakuya observed him for a long time. "I really do want you on my staff, after all."

"Christ! Have you heard a thing I just said?"

"Yes. Yes…" Byakuya paused, his heart fluttering at the thought that she had made an expression for him that she hadn't for Renji. "Well that…does change things…"

Renji huffed. "It had better. I'm not interested in seeing you being gloomy and rejecting her again. That's what you did this time isn't it?" Byakuya flinched. "Yeah, yeah. It was all over your face, you don't need to say it. And that's the last time by the way, or I'm unleashing my horrendous swordsmanship on you."

Byakuya snorted.

Renji whirled to look at him, in total shock. "Did you just laugh?"

Byakuya looked away. "I don't know what you mean."

"Liar! You just snorted through your nose, in a really undignified way!"

"It's stunning how your behavior toward royalty varies so vastly based on gender. How disrespectful."

"Damn it! Now you're making it about me again, how do you do that?!"

The ride continued in this vein until Renji started recognizing the landscape, then he grew quiet. Zabi huffed, sharing his nervousness. Then they were almost at the valley.

"We didn't meet any resistance," Byakuya said softly. "I'm not sure I like that."

"Don't talk," Renji said, and he squeezed Zabi's flanks, and urged him forward, quickly but quietly. They found the hut.

Byakuya's heart filled with fear as he saw all the children's pickaxes, lined against the outer wall. It was the middle of the day. There was no reason they should all be home. He and Renji quickly dismounted and pounded on the door.

"Rukia!" Renji cried.

"Princess?" Byakuya called. "Hanatarou?"

Slowly, the door opened. Both men gasped. To their disbelief, it was Hiyori. Her face was stained with tears. The blood in both their bodies instantly ran cold.

Renji was shaking his head. "No…not you…you don't make faces like that. It's someone else, right?" His body started trembling. "It's not her," he said, firmly. "She's all right. She's got to be. How can you be crying?" he asked her, his voice growing weaker.

For his part, Byakuya's throat somehow felt too tight to make any sound. He just stared silently as Hiyori let them in. All the children were sitting around the table, their faces dark and mirthless. Hanatarou had his head buried in Rose's chest, and the older boy was attempting to comfort him. Yachiru was sitting on top of a dresser, her eyes dark and inscrutable. The others were sniffing or sobbing, including Hiyori and Histugaya.

Byakuya's breath started to come in uneven gasps, and the pain of losing someone he loved, which was already so fresh with him, started to crawl into his chest, and dig itself deep into his heart. Without his knowledge, a tear ran down his cheek.

Now Renji was the one who seemed frozen. He didn't seem to be able to accept the reality. He kept staring around the room, looking at their faces.

Byakuya said softly, "Where is she?"

Hiyori sniffed. She turned toward the bedroom and opened the door. Both men gasped. At the back of the room, where before had been only storage, the children had lain a white cloth over some crates. On top of that, there was such a sight of perfect, tragic beauty, that none there had seen or imagined.

There she lay, like a doll in a glass case. In reality, it was a coffin. Around her and beneath her body were flowers of every type, making her crisp, snowy beauty like spring bursting over a cold mountain. And she, for whom so much had been wagered and lost, was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Her ebony hair framed her face and lightly touched her shoulders. Though Byakuya would have thought them much more beautiful open, the expression around her closed eyes was so peaceful, like a goddess. Her cheeks, even in death, were tinged with a gentle pink, and her tiny mouth even now seemed so alluring, like a blossom. No one would have noticed that her clothes were dirty and torn. She was a thing of beauty, inescapably.

Byakuya's body felt like it had been dunked in icy water. He had to retreat a step from the incredible wave of guilt and sadness he felt, in spite of the beauty before him. Beside him, Renji felt to his knees, covering his face as his shoulders shook and tears ran down past his fingers.

Ishida pushed up his glasses and said, "We found her like this two days ago." Byakuya's fists tightened. "Hanatarou said it was poison again, but whatever poisoned her was gone. There was nothing he could do. By the time we found her, she was already cold."

Renji sobbed. "Rukia…"

Though Byakuya's face remained mostly expressionless, tears dripped down his cheeks. He'd only just recently met her. Yet her existence was carved so deep in his heart, he'd never tried to think about what it would mean if he really lost her.

Rose smiled sadly and said, with red eyes and a tearstained face, "We couldn't bear to bury her. So we made her a glass coffin. Yachiru and Nova gathered the flowers." He laughed helplessly. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful."

Byakuya shook his head. Then he took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Hesitantly, he asked, "May I touch her?"

Ishida nodded, shifting his glasses to wipe his eyes, and coming to his feet. "Will you help me, Nova?"

He and Nova headed to the back of the room where she was. Byakuya helped Renji to his feet, and made him come into the room, though he seemed reluctant. Together, Ishida and Nova lifted the top three sides of the glass, leaving her on the bed of flowers.

Byakuya took Renji by his shoulders. "Go," he said.

Renji was sobbing, and wouldn't move. At that point, Nova took his hand. Renji hesitantly met his eyes. The boy held his gaze for a moment, then closed his eyes and nodded. Renji sniffed, then slowly moved forward.

"Rukia…" he murmured, watching her. Then his will broke and he covered his eyes again. "This is all my fault…You deserved so much better. I've never had a better friend…" he sobbed again. "There was a lot more I always wished I could say to you…but it seems, even now, I'm too cowardly to do it." He sniffed and wiped his face. "I hope, wherever you are now, there's no suffering." He slowly leaned down, and placed a kiss on her forehead. He gently held her hand for a moment, then he turned away and swiftly walked out of the room.

Ishida met Nova's eyes. "We'll give you a moment," he said to Byakuya.

Byakuya was surprised, but grateful for this. He was left alone with her now, and her soft beauty seemed to purify the very air around her. He gently approached. Tears continued to drip down his face, though he didn't notice. He set his hands amid the bed of flowers, watching her.

"Wherever you are now, you must not blame Renji," he murmured. "Nor yourself. When I left you, it was from my own guilt, and nothing else. That I…was unable to protect…someone I loved." He bit the inside of his cheek, and more tears dripped down. "How foolish of me, that I never said it. Perhaps I was simply afraid." Now he touched her cheek. "I'm too late. But the truth is, I love you more than anything."

Hesitantly, he leaned over her. "Goodbye, Rukia. I love you."

He pressed the gentlest kiss to her lips.


	12. Chapter 12

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 12

Yumichika had grown oddly quiet the last few days. At least, so his brothers thought. He spent more time than usual alone in his room, simply gazing out the window in spite of the gathering winter cold. He had also ordered Komamura not to leave yet, which, though he did not understand, the wolf obeyed.

Every now and then, Yumichika would go and see him. Though of course, "see" was relative, since he always asked Komamura to turn his back before he entered the room. Komamura was too gentle to ask the reason for this unusual behavior, but Yumichika was sure he suspected at least, and Yumichika's resistance continued to crumble.

Yumichika laughed bitterly one such visit. "You never fell in love, I suppose? Pretty hopeless cause, huh?"

Humble as always, Komamura laughed too. "I cannot argue. There is the issue of species; I'm not sure if I should hope for a woman or a wolf. Ha ha."

Yumichika's chest tightened and he looked away from Komamura's back. "I'm sure there's a woman somewhere homely enough to put up with you. Maybe size is a bigger obstacle." Komamura laughed again, but Yumichika bit his lip and grew silent for a moment. "But you didn't answer. Yes, it's hopeless, but people do lots of stupid things."

He could feel Komamura smiling, even if he couldn't see it. "I'm not 'people'."

"So the answer's 'no' then?" asked in annoyance.

A moment of silence passed. Komamura's head lowered a little. "Perhaps. It is sometimes difficult to say. I've only ever felt strongly about one person, and I doubt that will ever change. But I cannot say if that is love."

Yumichika swallowed hard. "Do you want to mate with that person, that's the question," he said, harshly. "A dog like you would be loyal to anyone, that's not what I'm asking."

Again, Komamura was silent. At length he said softly, "Have you ever loved anyone besides your late husband, Yumichika?"

Yumichika was a bit taken aback. He glanced away, grateful that Komamura could not see his blush. "Why do you ask?"

"Hm," Komamura said simply, and then didn't speak for a time. "I suppose…it doesn't matter."

"Yes," Yumichika interjected, in a moment of bravery.

Komamura's back grew still. He turned his face slightly and his ear flicked back toward Yumichika. "Is that so?" he murmured.

Yumichika blushed. "You haven't answered. Do you want to mate with that person or no?"

"Do I want to?" Komamura sighed. "That's a good question. Do I intend to? No." Yumichika's chest tightened. "But I'm sure you understand why. As a result, even if that desire exists, I can't accept it."

Yumichika swallowed. "Tell me about this person you're so loyal to."

Komamura lowered his head and folded his hands in his lap. "A cruel person," he murmured, and Yumichika's jaw tightened. "A powerful person, stronger than anyone, yet deeply fragile. It is that fragility which makes me protective. An honest person. Not necessarily in words, but a person who accepts oneself and does not hide it."

Yumichika folded his arms to hide the slight trembling in his hands. "Is she beautiful?"

He felt Komamura smile again. "To tell you the truth, I'm not a great judge of beauty. But…as far as I can tell, yes. The most beautiful creature I've ever seen, in fact."

Yumichika turned away, placing his hands over his pounding heart. "You never thought to tell her so?"

Komamura chuckled. "It would be pointless."

"How do you know?"

"Hm? Strange that you should ask that, Yumichika. I thought you would understand."

Yumichika's heart leapt in fear. Had he given himself away?

"How can I expect love from anyone? Least of all someone beautiful enough, in body and soul, that I would be tempted to deny everything I've learned about my place in this world." Yumichika took in a harsh breath. "The deeper my feelings, the greater my despair. Surely, I thought you would understand this."

Yumichika could say nothing in reply.

Komamura sighed. "But I'm content as I am. If I can be of use to that person, all the more so. Still…Yumichika, why am I still here?"

"Because the queen said so."

Komamura laughed. "Yes. But surely he has his reasons," he said, playfully.

"Nope," said Yumichika, turning toward the door. "No reason at all."

"If it's to protect you," Komamura said, softly. Yumichika froze. "From the army that's coming, I mean, you need hardly ask."

Yumichika gritted his teeth. "If you…manage to do it," he said, softly. "To protect me from what's coming. There's something I would like you to have."

"Really?"

Yumichika nodded. "Now rest. I'm sure the tempest is coming soon."

He felt Komamura smile again. "I must have done something good to receive such kindness."

"Shut your hole," Yumichika said as he left.

…

Byakuya's lips slowly left Rukia's cold ones. He gazed down at her pristine face for a time. He was about to turn away when suddenly the whole house was shocked nearly to death when Rukia coughed.

Even Byakuya recoiled for a moment, to his shame, briefly fearing a zombie attack. But then he realized, it was true. Rukia was coughing for breath, and warmth returning to her skin. He could scarcely believe it. Renji, followed by all the others, raced into the room.

"Rukia!" Renji cried, kneeling beside Byakuya.

Rukia turned her head, and spit something out. To the shock of all present, it appeared to be a piece of apple. Now Rukia turned over and started coughing in earnest, trying to gain back the breath which had been lost to her for over two days.

Rose ran over and patted her back. "Rukia…" he gasped in wonder. "Are you…all right?"

Slightly tearful and red-faced from coughing (and perhaps from the kiss as well), Rukia looked around her. "Everyone…I don't believe it…I'm alive?"

At that moment, the room filled with happy noise. Yachiru bounced around like a rabbit, and Rose took her hands and danced with her. Hitsugaya was actually sobbing. Hiyori let out an angry noise, punctuated by happy sobs. Hanatarou hugged Nova and Ishida, who were both making wordless happy noise as well.

Renji's face was a mess, streaked with tears and snot, but still smiling. Byakuya was still in disbelief. How was this possible? Rukia smiled in great relief and bent down to kiss Renji's cheek. Then, to Byakuya's shock, she turned to him and threw her arms around his neck. He was frozen.

"The thing is," she murmured softly in his ear. "When I heard your voice, I just couldn't give up." A tear slid down Byakuya's cheek, though he was still in shock. She pulled away slightly to look at him, now crying herself. "I hope you meant what you said, because you already stole my heart, and now my first kiss too. Are you prepared to-"

Without letting her finish, he grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her firmly. Several of the children made naughty noises, Yachiru whistled and Rose clapped. Rukia moaned lightly against his lips. Byakuya's heart was soaring. He wished he wasn't wearing armor, so he could hold her tighter. He grasped her cheek, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. She moaned, unsure. He knew this was probably too much for an amateur, but he couldn't stop.

At length, a hand clapped against his shoulder. Reluctantly, he slowly broke the kiss and held Rukia against him to look up at Renji, who was glaring at him.

"Are you done?"

"Not even close," Byakuya replied, tartly. "But I gather this isn't the time or place."

"No kidding."

He looked around the room. "There's still the problem of the queen, that hasn't changed. My father's army should arrive in an hour or so, but in the meantime, Renji and I must infiltrate the castle and try to take care of those two brothers. According to my father, they're worth an army each."

Renji sighed. "You didn't tell me that."

"What is it?"

"You and I _might_ be able to handle those brothers. _Might_, although personally I have no confidence_._ But even without demon magic, which I'm sure he'll use anyway, Yumichika himself is no shrinking violet. If we try to take on all three, we'll be completely outmatched."

"That's why you should take along Yachiru!" Yachiru said happily.

The whole room turned to stare at her. Eventually Byakuya lowered his head with a sigh. "That's very brave of you, but it's impossible."

Yachiru easily jumped onto Renji's shoulders to address Byakuya. Suddenly her smile turned deadly, and he instinctively retreated. "You should take Yachiru," she said again, darkly.

Byakuya was dumbfounded for a moment, and then Rose said, "No really, you should. She comes from a warrior clan. She's older than she looks, and I've never seen her outmaneuvered by anyone or anything. Even if she doesn't fight, she would be a huge distraction."

Renji scoffed. "Yeah, to the enemy or to us? Ow ow ow!" Yachiru had started pounding on his head like a drum. She laughed, and then easily slipped from his shoulders and landed impeccably on the ground, as if she'd only jumped a few inches.

" 'Kay?" she said, merrily.

"I want to come too," Rukia said.

Byakuya and Renji said in unison, "Never."

Rukia shook her head. She gently pushed Byakuya away and looked up at him. "This is my father's country. My country. I need to see it put right."

Renji placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Sometimes I think you have too much of him in you."

Rukia smiled blissfully, taking it as a compliment.

"Okay," Renji said.

" 'Okay' ?" Byakuya repeated in incredulity, clasping Rukia's shoulders somewhat protectively.

Then Renji took on a slightly peevish expression, addressing Byakuya. "I'm sorry, is this your country?"

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched.

"He's right, I'm afraid," Rukia said, covering his hands in hers. She smiled up at him, but the expression soon faded. "What happens to me doesn't matter as much as what happens to Yumichika. If possible, I don't want to kill him."

"WHAT?!" chorused the entire household.

Rukia rubbed her ears. "I mean it. He has a grudge against me, and he certainly isn't fit to rule, but…I don't want him to suffer."

Byakuya closed his eyes in disdain. "Rukia. Even if you ask me directly, I'm not sure I can allow someone who's caused you so much pain to live."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree," Renji muttered darkly.

"He is my mother."

"That is a ludicrous statement. You know very well he isn't, nor could he ever be anyone's mother. Even if he had the…necessary accoutrement," Byakuya grumbled. "He is too twisted up inside to ever give life or care for anything."

"Even if in name only, he raised me in my father's place. He is my only family. I cannot kill him."

"Rukia…" Renji sighed. "You know what would happen if we imprisoned him. There's no way to stop him from using demon magic to get out again, and then we'll be in exactly the same situation, him coming after you at every opportunity. Do you understand that?"

Rukia nodded. "That's why I want to speak with him. Please," she said. Then she looked up at Byakuya at repeated the word. "Please. I realize I'm being unreasonable. But I am a coward if I do not follow my beliefs in times like these."

Byakuya caressed her hair. "You are not a coward. I promise you. Instead, if you have something to say, Renji or I-"

"Or Yachiru!" interjected Yachiru, bouncing into view.

"-can convey that message for you."

Rukia's eyes hardened, and she gazed at him with determination. "I need to look in his eyes," she said, softly. "Please, trust me. There is something in him that none of us understands yet. I want to know what it is before doing anything too rash. Please."

Byakuya had been so against it until he saw the look in her eyes. He was still opposed to the idea, but the feeling of looking so deep into her eyes was remarkable. Such unabashed compassion, such a wealth of human understanding, anyone who could not be swayed by these eyes was not human.

He looked away bitterly. "How can I agree to putting you into danger?" he said softly. "How…when I was the cause for at least the last two times you were in danger?"

"_Two_ times?" Renji muttered angrily.

Rukia held Byakuya's face in her hands. "What you said was true, wasn't it?" He glanced down at her. "If it was, then trust me."

He looked away. "How can you promise me you'll be safe?"

"I can't. I'm doing what I think is right. I want you to trust me that it is."

Byakuya didn't respond for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth, and then murmured, "You will have to answer to me in the afterlife if you come to harm."

She smiled.

Renji huffed. "Hm. So that's how you handle this guy. Maybe if I'd batted my eyes a little, we would have gotten here sooner."

Rose laughed. "That would be a surprise, but quite something to see. I rather hope you try it some time."

"The main issue remains the same," Byakuya said sharply, ceasing all merriment in the room. "Renji and I, along with Rukia and…Yachiru-san…must infiltrate the castle as soon as possible. You two, please make yourselves prepared for battle."

Yachiru laughed. "Play time!"


	13. Yumichika and Komamura

Note: First of all, there's some boy x boy, so watch out for that if you don't like. Forgive this little side story. This is the story of the past between Yumichika and Komamura. Feel free to skip this chapter (I'll get the next proper one out soon), although there are one or two plot points that will be important later. Thanks guys!

…

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 13

13 years previous…

Ayasegawa Yumichika wiped the blood off his face with the rag he kept in his pocket. He hated being so dirty. But he was still an Ayasegawa, and like his elder brothers, he derived extremely pleasant sensations from spilling other people's blood. The battle was all but over, the Magadan force had pushed the Northern tribesmen back behind their borders, and now came the typical lull after skirmishing. Yumichika was absently gazing at a crow in a tree. He thought bitterly to himself that that was what he was now; a carrion bird without the luxury of aesthetics. He sighed. Still, it wasn't as though he had anyone in particular to impress.

In his musing, he failed to notice an archer, whose stomach he had sliced, managing to rise just a little from the ground and take aim at nearly point blank range. Half a second before he shot, Yumichika noticed the threat, though it was too late to dodge at that point. He closed his eyes briefly, expecting death or excruciating pain. But neither came.

It was then that he realized he was covered by a massive shadow. It took him a moment to realize what it was that had stopped the arrow. Komamura Sajin, the enormous monster who was a member of their unit, had taken the arrow near the hip, since it had been aimed at Yumichika's chest. The beast took a single step forward, raised his massive sword and sliced the dying man's head neatly off his shoulders. Komamura calmly removed the arrow from his body.

Then, to Yumichika's shock, he turned and smiled at him. "Pardon me," he said in a deep, resounding, yet somehow gentle voice. "Perhaps I was intruding."

Yumichika flushed with shame and scratched the back of his neck. "You know, I've been thinking this for a long time, but I think you have the wrong idea. This unit isn't about protecting each other. We're the most elite fighting force in the country. All the king wants us to do is slash up barbarians to our heart's content. You're doing yourself no favors."

Komamura considered for a moment, watching him. "I appreciate your concern," he said simply, but in total sincerity. Then he turned, and began to walk away.

Yumichika bit his lip for a moment. Eventually, he followed him. "Hey," he said, catching up.

"Oh," said Komamura, smiling down at him. "Hello."

"I'm not a total scum bag. So I should just say…thank you. You may have saved my life just now."

Komamura shrugged. "Maybe. But you normally have the best instincts of any of the men in our unit. I think it likely that you would have at least avoided a vital point in time, even if I hadn't stepped in. And had you not been distracted, my intervention would not have been necessary at all."

"Distracted?" Yumichika murmured. How had he known that?

"Yes…" Komamura said hesitantly. "You'll pardon me, but from what I could see, you seemed to have some grudge against the crow in that tree behind us."

Yumichika gritted his teeth and blushed in shame. "It wasn't the crow per se…"

"Oh?"

After that, they had a long conversation in which Yumichika described his love of beauty. He did not notice, but Komamura's face took on a gradual loneliness as he talked. And being the vain creature that he was, even in his early twenties, before he even had the luxury of wearing his hair as he liked, he didn't often stop for breath or give room for much of a reply. But Komamura didn't seem to mind, listening politely.

But at length even Yumichika began to feel that the balance of conversation was off. In a momentary pause, his eyes traveled up to Komamura's ears, which still absently flicked toward distant sounds. He hesitated, but he decided to answer his curiosity.

"I've heard rumors, but never heard the truth about exactly what you are. A deformed man. A transmuted beast. Something else altogether? A demon perhaps?"

Komamura smiled patiently, but Yumichika didn't miss the pain that flashed over his wolfish face. "It's a bit complicated." He took a sigh, then absently brushed some mud off his boots. "That, and I doubt you'd believe me if I told you."

Yumichika raised his eyebrow. With a dead pan expression, he lifted one hand and produced an azure mist around it. "Please. I'm a master of demon magic. I don't shock easy."

Komamura laughed hesitantly. "All right." There was another long pause, and though he was hiding it very well, all of his features grew just a little bit darker. "The truth is, I wasn't always like this."

"I see…you used to be human?"

Komamura hesitated. "No…"

Yumichika's eyes widened. "You used to be a wolf?!"

Komamura gave a lackluster smile, clearly anticipating a reaction he had got before. "As far as I can recall."

"Then…how…?"

The wolf tilted his head, clearly deciding how honest he should be. "I was the strongest of the pack leader's offspring. Soon, it would have been time for me to drive him out of the pack, and take it for myself. It sounds a bit harsh, but it's normal for us. Well…there was a powerful witch who lived nearby, my people mostly tried to avoid her, but she could speak with us, and being near her seemed to make us somehow different from other packs.

"I had never spoken with her, but others in my pack evidently spoke of me often. They all said the same thing; he cannot be pack leader, because he does not understand the beauty of the forest." Komamura scratched the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, I'm still struggling with what that means. But for whatever reason, a whim, or perhaps some attempt to restore balance to the forest, she cursed me like this."

Yumichika was stunned. "But…why?"

Komamura stared at the earth for a moment. "Not…to be too graphic, but I did leave something out."

"What?"

Despite the fact that his face was covered in fur, Yumichika could swear he saw him blush. "Hearing all the stories from my compatriots…she decided to test me. To see if I could appreciate beauty after all."

Yumichika made an incredulous face. "How exactly do you test someone for that?"

Komamura lowered his head, and now he was clearly blushing. "She…took the form of a wolf. Then she…when we were alone…"

"Ah!" Yumichika cried, recoiling. "I didn't need to know that! Now I've got wolf sex in my head! Ahh, gross…"

Komamura managed a laugh. "I'm sorry."

Yumichika sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "All right. So she comes at you like a sexy lady wolf, and you turn her down."

"Yes."

"Still, as much as I personally think beauty should be a priority, being dim about it doesn't really seem enough to curse someone over. Was there anything else?"

Komamura shook his head. "But she said something to me. A way to break the curse."

"Meaning…a way to turn you back into a wolf?"

"I believe so. She said, 'Foolish dog, without beauty in your heart, you must learn to see with loving eyes. Then will this curse be broken.'" He sighed. "She also said I must do it by my 25th birthday, or I will remain like this forever."

The selfish Yumichika was stunned at himself for feeling pity for this ugly thing. "That's a shitty break. How old are you now?"

"Twelve."

"WHAT?!"

Komamura waved a hand to calm him down. "I was an adult, as a wolf, at four. When she changed me, I became a mix of an adult wolf and a five-year-old human. For some reason, at that time I was already nearing six feet. In other words, I've been this way for almost ten years already. Does that make sense?"

Yumichika was still a bit taken aback. "So she gave you twenty years to figure out how to see beauty in the world around you."

"So it seems."

"And? How's it going?"

Komamura sighed heavily. "All humans still look roughly the same to me." As someone who considered himself quite beautiful and took a lot of pride in that, Yumichika felt a bit stung by this. "I suppose…I think the women are prettier than the men." Yumichika's heart squeezed in his chest, though he didn't know why. "They're smaller, and more dainty. And I suppose their facial features seem more delicate. But I can't say I'm really learning very quickly. It was only recently that I was able to tell the difference between the two genders."

"How flattering," Yumichika murmured dully. "I wonder why she wanted you to appreciate human beauty though. Plus, if it's true you were an adult at four, trapping you in this body for twenty years basically means all your family will…"

Yumichika stopped. His heart ached suddenly when he realized what he'd just said. He turned hesitantly to look at the wolf. He had his eyes closed, and seemed to be listening to the breeze.

"Yes," he said softly. "All but my two littlest sisters are dead, and they haven't long."

Yumichika's jaw dropped. "Why…aren't you with them? I mean, surely they would recognize you! Why leave them and let them die one by one while you're in pain all alone?"

Komamura looked surprised. He turned to Yumichika. "I believe that's the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Yumichika blushed. "I wasn't trying to be kind! Why are you here?"

"At first, I stayed away because I was ashamed. Then because I was afraid to go back; I thought they might think I was human and reject me. And being rejected by the pack was a pain I couldn't bear at that time. Finally…I decided it would be better for them if they thought I had died. I had lost hope that I would break the curse in time to return to my family. So I spared them the pain of seeing me again…no, perhaps I am still too afraid to show myself to them."

Yumichika stared in wonder as moisture dripped down the brown streak underneath Komamura's black, wolfish eye. Yumichika felt his own eyes tearing up, but he refused to cry for this monster.

"I think that's the whole story. I…don't believe I've ever told anyone all that before." Komamura turned to Yumichika. "You're the first human I've felt so at peace with."

Yumichika blushed and turned away. "Yeah?"

"Ayasegawa-san-"

"Just Yumichika."

"Yumichika," Komamura said hesitantly. "I understand from overhearing the men's conversations that you are quite beautiful. Is that true?"

Yumichika rolled his eyes. "Well fat lot of good it does if you can't see it."

Komamura laughed. "I know. This may be a great imposition for you, but would you consider being my friend?"

Yumichika nearly fell off the rock he was sitting on. He glared at Komamura in embarrassment. "We're not eight! You don't have to be so dorky about it!"

Komamura smiled. "I'm sorry."

Yumichika flicked his ponytail back over his shoulder, proudly. "Whatever. Call us 'friends' if you like. I don't really care."

Komamura laughed. "It's true. Of all the human's I've met, you're the one who's most enjoyable to talk to."

Yumichika blushed and turned away. What was this strange excitement in his chest? Yumichika's type was beautiful people only! He preferred men, that was true, but beauty was the only prerequisite. Why was his heart aching over this monster?

As time went on, their friendship grew more strong, even if their behavior didn't change much. Their trust in one another and understanding grew deeper by the day. They had great teamwork and the Northern barbarians quickly became terrified of them. But gradually, they also began to grow apart in strange ways.

The ache in Yumichika's chest did not ease. It only grew stronger. He would catch himself looking for Komamura every few minutes when he wasn't around. But slowly the thoughts began to swirl in his head. He wasn't human. If the curse was broken, if he actually became able to appreciate Yumichika's beauty, the only thing which made him similar to the women Komamura seemed to like so much, Komamura would not turn into a human prince. He would turn into a wolf. A wolf with only a handful of years left to him. This pain continued to grow deeper.

Yumichika was not aware of it at first, but he began to snap at Komamura over the smallest things. The wolf was patient as always, and this only made him angrier. Even knowing it was childish, Yumichika often stomped away from fights he himself had started, and had been bounced back at him by the brick wall of Komamura's considerate nature.

Then, when it was too late to change, even when he was aware of it, he began to avoid Komamura. Even looking at his face. Its ugliness, its wolfishness, only rose ire in Yumichika's gut, and he stopped being able to think of the giant as a friend. Though he was the only one, of course. Then one day Yumichika snapped completely.

He had injured his leg from a careless mistake and was panting and angry and trying to remove a piece of a broken sword that had been lodged there, when Komamura's large, gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder. Tears came to Yumichika's eyes, and then he roared with anger. Komamura fortunately stepped back, because when Yumichika turned around, he slashed his sword with serious intent to kill the beast.

Komamura looked down. A large streak of red sliced from his hip on one side to his rib on the other. It was most likely painful, but not deep enough to cause any real damage.

Yumichika gasped. He stared at the wound. Had he really meant to hurt him? He put his head in his hand. What was wrong with him? Tears dripped between his fingers. Why hadn't he been born a woman? He knew that wouldn't change much, but at least then he might be able to dream about it. Komamura would never accept a man, he was sure. When Yumichika was deep in this despair, he failed to notice the sound of approaching horses.

Before he knew it, a man had knelt in front of him, and was quickly treating his wound. Both Yumichika and Komamura were shocked to see who it was. A young-looking man with black eyebrows and long, white hair. There was no one else in the kingdom who looked like that.

Yumichika gaped as the king's fingers deftly wrapped a bandage around his leg. When it was finished, the king looked up at him.

"Are you a-…" the king stopped, staring at Yumichika's face.

"Is…something wrong, Your Highness?"

The king blinked. "Oh!" he said, laughing. "That was unbelievably rude. It's just…I've never seen someone so beautiful before, if you don't mind my saying. Haha."

Yumichika's face filled with color. When was the last time someone had told him that? Besides which, he probably had blood and dirt all over his face. Was the king just a fool?

"Anyway," he rose to his feet. "To complete my thought from earlier, are you all right?"

Yumichika swallowed. "Yes…thank you very much, Sire." He bowed deeply.

"Oh…uh…no need for that." The king sighed. "The truth is, I was hoping to join you, but once again, my 11th squad has done the job much better than I ever could." He then turned to smile at Komamura, as if he didn't notice he was a gigantic monster. "You're the right arm of the kingdom, you are. I'm so very proud of you all."

The king clapped his hands. "But! Since there's no battle today, I think that means a party, doesn't it?"

Those words immediately got the rest of the unit's attention. The king had apparently brought enough food for a few days, so there was plenty for a feast. He'd also brought beer, which most of the men hadn't had in weeks. A fun night was had by all. But Yumichika was still in despair. He knew Komamura was often looking at him, but he ignored hm. Then, about halfway through the party, Yumichika got up and left.

He went to his retreat, where he could forget how unglamorous his life was here. But this was the first time he'd come here to forget a person. The moon was bright, so it was easy to find his way to a natural pool over a mini waterfall in the river, about nine feet deep and between ten and twelve feet across. He shed his dirty clothes. He kept on the bandage the king gave him, though much good it would do him in the water.

He let his long black hair down, and it fell slightly past his shoulder blades. He took a cleansing breath. Then he eased himself into the water. The cold water felt so good against his skin, the chill, moist air filling his lungs and seeming to wash him clean of all his worries. He dipped his head under, rubbing his face clean of dirt and then staying there to enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by the healing, cold water.

At last, he brought his head up with a gasp. He wiped his wet hair out of his face, and then his eyes widened. On the bank sat King Ukitake. He smiled at Yumichika.

"I was worried when you left the party. I thought I might have done something to upset you."

Yumichika blushed and shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. But is it all right for you to leave?"

Ukitake's smile faded a bit, but remained their subtly. "To be honest, a bath sounded very nice, when your friend told me where you might be." Yumichika's lips parted. "Of course I don't mind waiting, but I wondered how you might feel if I join you."

Yumichika's heart was pounding. The king was beautiful. Maybe not the most beautiful Yumichika had ever seen, but certainly the most beautiful he'd seen recently. He was charming. He was attentive. And more than anything…he could see Yumichika's beauty.

Hesitantly, Yumichika nodded. "Please, I would be honored, Your Majesty."

Ukitake smiled. "That's very kind of you."

He rose and slowly undressed. Yumichika's heartbeat grew faster. The king's body was possibly even more beautiful than his face. Naked with long hair loose like Yumichika's, the king stepped inside the water.

"Ahh," he said. "It's a bit cold, but very refreshing after a long day of traveling."

"And feasting," Yumichika added softly.

Ukitake laughed, now in up to his waist. "Yes, feasting! Again, I'm sorry if there was something that displeased you." He smiled shyly, now in up to his chest and very near to Yumichika. "It's not easy to feel I'm disliked by someone so beautiful."

"You're not disliked," Yumichika said quickly, suddenly feeling hot in spite of the coldness of the water.

Ukitake paused for a moment, then smiled softly. "Is that so?"

Yumichika gathered his courage, and touched the king's wrist under the water, coming even closer to him. "Your Majesty…please do what you like with me if I offend you, but…" Yumichika could feel himself blushing deeply. "If…even for one night…"

But that was all he needed to say. Gently, King Ukitake clasped Yumichika's face in his hand. He pulled him close, then pressed his lips to Yumichika's. Yumichika could not help a soft moan. Then a larger one as the king's other hand wrapped around the small of his back and pressed their hips together. Yumichika hesitantly wrapped his arms around the king's neck, then sank into his kiss.

To the surprise of all, the king offered the very next day to make Yumichika a courtier and bring him back to the royal palace with him. Yumichika did not look back. He mounted the horse behind the king, and cowered as if to vanish from the sight of the eyes he had betrayed.

What Yumichika did not know was this:

Several weeks after becoming friends with Yumichika, Komamura found no one and nothing beautiful…except Yumichika. Komamura considered telling him, but there was a slight fear in his heart that if he knew, Yumichika would cease their friendship. But there was something worse than that.

Yumichika was so brave. So tempestuous. So vain, yet witty and funny. So graceful. So good with a sword. So honest with himself. Even if Komamura had not been able to see his beauty at all, he was sure he would have fallen in love with him anyway. But he was so beautiful. Even covered in blood and dirt. Possibly even more so, since Komamura loved seeing his graceful yet merciless fighting style.

Since he saw it so much, Komamura soon became able to judge Yumichika's facial expressions. Yet so often recently, Yumichika appeared so angry and hurt. Komamura had an idea why.

Yumichika had discovered his feelings. He didn't know how. But that would explain his behavior. And much though Komamura tried so hard so accept the universal flow of life, not to fight against it, the thought that Yumichika could never accept him because of how ugly he was hurt his him deeply.

And Komamura realized something. He didn't know much about this curse, but he was sure that when the witch said "a loving heart", she meant mutual love. And poor, cursed Komamura, he had fallen in love with someone who could never return his feelings. Worse yet, wolves were monogamous. Komamura would never love again. When he saw Yumichika ride away that day, he decided he would go back home, and finally see his sisters again. And there he would stay. He would call whenever Yumichika needed him, but would hope for no more. And yet, in his gentle heart, even if it was with an expression of hate, he wished to see Yumichika's face again.


	14. Chapter 14

PM me for a link to a (badly drawn) pic of Rukia's dress. :)

...

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 14

Byakuya wrapped his arm carefully around Rukia's shoulders. "Can you stand?" he asked softly.

Rukia went bright red at his proximity. "Umm…hm," was all she was able to reply.

He slipped his other arm under her knees, lifted her as if she weighed less than nothing, and set her gently on the ground. Though neither of these lovers was paying attention, Rose elbowed Hitsugaya in the ribs.

"Can you do that?" he asked, cheekily.

Hitsugaya blushed slightly and then folded his arms in defiance. "Show-off," he grumbled.

Byakuya looked Rukia over. "And…as I foresaw, you still look a mess. As usual."

She blushed. "Do I?"

Renji considered. "Actually, yes you do, but I wasn't going to say anything. See, I have something called a sense of tact." He directed that commented straight at Byakuya, who ignored him.

"I guess…with everything that's happened, I haven't had time to fix my clothes or make any new ones…" Rukia murmured.

Byakuya nodded. "Come with me."

He took her hand, and Rukia blushed again. Was he always this affectionate? Something must have flipped a switch in him, she thought. He took her outside to Sakura, and another horse that must have been Renji's. He let go of her hand to reach into one of his saddlebags.

"I'm glad I thought ahead. If you're going to be saving your country, you should look like a heroine."

He produced a stack of clothes, the quality of which, even a princess like Rukia had never seen. She gazed at them in amazement. "I…I can't…"

He sighed. "If you like, think of it as your gift to me, rather than the other way around." A subtle blush came to his cheeks, though clearly he tried to hide it. "You may consider me a vain man, but I have a selfish desire to see the woman I love in my country's clothes." He cleared his throat. "Much though it may not be appropriate for saving your own."

Rukia's face filled with color. Wordlessly, she accepted the clothes from him, holding them as if they were made of glass. She bit her lip, unable to think of anything to say.

She thought she saw him smile. "Go on then."

She bowed her thanks and gratefully ran off, at last able to breathe fully. She entered the house and gazed at the fabric. Much of it was white silk damask, and the part she could see was woven with patterns of fairy terns and snowdrops. She didn't even want to guess at how much it had cost. She also had a terrible feeling that it had been made for her. How could she ever repay this?

"Rukia-chan?" Rose said as she came back in. "What have you got there?"

Hesitantly, she walked into the bedroom where everyone was. She managed to say, "Clothes…"

At first, most of the boys wanted to take a look, but within seconds, Yachiru and Hiyori kicked them out all in a big group and slammed the door behind them. Then they turned to Rukia with evil grins.

"Get ready to abandon some modesty," said Hiyori, chuckling darkly.

"Wha-…ah…ohh!"

…

On the other side of the door, the boys were all looking at one another for a moment. Then, at the strangely enticing sound in Rukia's voice, the reason for which was actually not very far off from what they were imagining, they all gradually started to turn red and pretend to talk about other things.

Byakuya came back in just in time to hear an embarrassed moan from Rukia. His face darkened with anger and he looked at the closed bedroom door, then at all the men on one side of it. He strode into the house.

"What are they doing to her?" he demanded, heading for the door.

Renji, as well as Nova and Ishida, got a good grip on him to make sure he went no further. Then Renji clapped him on the shoulder and addressed him. "It's not for us to know."

"What does that mean?"

"Just a tic, nearly ready," came Hiyori's smirking voice through the door.

There was some mumbling and then, "Oh!" peeped Rukia in alarm.

Byakuya huffed. "She's clearly in trouble, I should-"

"No!" cried most of the others.

"Okay," Hiyori said. "Get ready."

The door began to open.

"We give you…Princess Snow White."

Hiyori and Yachiru stood to one side, grinning, as the door opened to reveal Rukia in the middle of the room. There was no heart unmoved, no pulse that didn't rise, no breath that didn't quicken at the sight of her.

Byakuya had selected white silk damask fabric and black brocade for an off-shoulder kirtle. The collar and wrists were trimmed with white angora rabbit fur, giving the effect of fallen snow. The sleeves were fitted white damask, except at the elbow, which had a bloom of white cotton. It had a stiff bodice in the black brocade, patterned with lions and ebony trees. Under the bodice, several swaths of the black fabric were curtained around her hips to wrap around the skirt. The white damask of the rest of the skirt was absent of a pattern until about Rukia's calf level, where could be seen the woven pattern of fairy terns and snowdrops. Her hair was just long enough for a simple yet sweet braid down the bad of her neck. No one would have denied that Byakuya had selected wisely. The dress seemed to reflect Rukia's personality, pure, bold, and yet gentle, pristine and beautiful as an ibis in winter. It was a long while before anyone moved or said anything.

Rukia's blush continued to grow the longer they stared and said nothing. "I…I think these clothes are too fine for me. They look silly after all, don't they?"

There was some mild shaking of heads, most still a bit too shocked to speak, and then Byakuya stepped forward. He said nothing, but he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her so sweetly her knees nearly gave out.

Rose shook his head, smiling in disbelief. "Would you look at the two of them together? They look like they were born for each other."

Renji gritted his teeth. "Look, not like I don't think so too, but give it a rest."

Rose chuckled. "My mistake."

Byakuya held her against him for a moment. "You really should stay here."

Rukia gaped and pushed him away. "You must be kidding! It took so long to convince you, now do I have to do it again?"

Renji shook his head. "Don't mind him, Rukia, your beauty just made him stupid for a moment, that's all."

Byakuya flicked a glare his way. "I would have some comeback for you, but I find that statement rather astute, considering the vulgarity of the vernacular it employed."

"I wouldn't even know how to comeback what you just said," Renji replied, irritably.

Byakuya shook his head. "We've become distracted again. As Renji says, I was only momentarily blinded by your beauty, I won't go back on my word. That dress has deep pockets here…" he touched her waist and she exploded with color, "…in the folds of the brocade. I want you to use them to carry this." He held a hooked dagger in a black sheath. "It is large enough to defend yourself if it should be necessary, but small enough that no one will notice it. No one will be expecting you to be armed either. So take this, and don't forget that you have it."

Rukia nodded hesitantly and placed the dagger in the pocket he had indicated, which she immediately thought was a very useful idea.

Byakuya turned to Yachiru. He looked disapprovingly down at her as she smiled up at him. "You. Do you insist on coming?"

"Yup!" she answered immediately.

"If you come, you are coming to fight, you understand that?"

"Yup!"

"And that neither Renji nor I will be in a position to protect you."

"I won't protect you either," Yachiru said, in her slightly terrifying grin.

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched as he observed her. He closed his eyes with a minute sigh. "Do you have a weapon?"

"Yes."

He continued looking at her, and she continued smiling back at him. Evidently she had no intention of telling him what that was. "In that case, we must go. Princess, please stay close to me as we go. We have no way of knowing where Queen Yumichika has already placed forces."

Rukia blushed as he took her hand again to leave the house. "I'll be all right," she murmured.

"I believe you. Forgive me, I just want you close."

Rukia's face lit up once again. She didn't notice Renji's adoring gaze as she walked past him. She was even more beautiful with her expression now, he thought. He bit the inside of his lip, looking away.

The four of them went outside, and were then followed by the others, so they could bid them goodbye. Hitsugaya scratched the back of his head. "If we were fighters, we'd go with you too," he muttered.

"I think we all feel that way," Rose said with a sad smile.

Ishida pushed up his glasses. "Yes, well…as long as you're safe. You're welcome to come back any time."

Hanatarou, who was still weak and had to hang on to Rose, said softly, "Rukia-san, don't be afraid. If you get hurt, I'll be here to fix it."

Nova came up and grasped Rukia's hand. He had a silent conversation with her, being unusually bold by holding her gaze for a long time. Then he stepped back. Most gazes then turned to Hiyori. She looked very troubled and merely tapped her foot impatiently for a time. Finally, she gritted her teeth, and stomped over Rukia to address her inches in front of her face.

"I'm not going to cry if you get yourself killed, got that?!"

Rukia hesitantly nodded. Then she smiled. Hiyori was really so kind.

Hiyori stepped over to Byakuya. She glared at him. Then she scoffed, and moved on, seemingly not even caring enough to yell at him. Byakuya blinked, feeling vaguely offended by this. Lastly she came to Renji. She stood there for a time, staring at his shoes, tapping her foot and looking very irritated. Finally, she glared up at him.

"Are you going to spend your whole life putting everyone else before yourself? Huh?!"

Renji gazed at her in confusion. "Well…I don't mind it…" he answered, honestly.

Suddenly, Hiyori jumped up high and punched him hard in the face. Renji grabbed his nose in pain. Fortunately, she was not a fighter and her fist was small, but even so, when he took his hands away, a trickle of blood dripped out of his nose. He looked down at her in total confusion.

"And another thing, whether that dumbass dog turd princess wants to get herself killed is her business. You get yourself killed, I'm going to find you in hell and smack you so hard your brains will fall out your ear. You understand that, rhubarb?!"

Renji was holding his nose again, even more confused now. But wanting to keep his basic facial features, he nodded.

"Kh!" Hiyori huffed, though she was blushing now. She turned to Yachiru. "I don't suppose I need to tell you how to take care of yourself."

"Nope! But Yachiru still thinks that Hiyo-rin should be a little more honest. Like about Ren-Ren…"

"Gah!" Hiyori interrupted her, waving her hands in panic. "Just go, you little snake. All of you! Git! Don't come back for all I care!"

They obediently began to turn away. Rukia was the last. "Thank you so much, everyone. If we win today, you'll be the ones who saved this kingdom. I hope I'll be back soon. I love you all."

Most waved, and Hitsugaya turned away, as both he and Hanatarou began to cry quietly. Hiyori sniffed loudly, barely holding herself back from doing so as well. Truly, Rukia loved them all so much.

They began to trek carefully toward the castle, more and more cautious the closer they came. Finally, they reached the edge of the cover of the woods, and had to decide the best way to enter the castle.

"Rukia," Byakuya said quietly. "You know the workings of the castle best. Where is the place our entrance is most likely to go unnoticed?"

Her mind went briefly over the possibilities. "There is a place I used to use to sneak out into the garden. It's very lightly trafficked. But it would require some luck to cross the garden itself without being seen. Also…"

"Also?"

She sighed. "That stairway comes out on the same floor as Kenpachi-ojisan and Ikkaku-ojisan's bedrooms. I doubt they'll be in them right now, but it would be extremely dangerous to encounter them in a narrow hall like that. Um…wouldn't it?"

Byakuya nodded. "It would be less than ideal. But the handicap would be the same on either side. And since they're the very ones we're looking for, I would say it's a good place to start. Any objections?"

Renji and Yachiru shook their heads. Rukia lead them around to the place with the least distance between the cover of the woods and the garden.

"I'll go first," Byakuya murmured. "Renji, please take up the rear."

Renji nodded, drawing his bowie knife.

Byakuya turned back to Rukia and Yachiru. "Follow me when I signal that it's safe." With that, he made sure there were no servants in view, then he crossed the open area toward the high hedges of the garden. He found a gap, peered through it and then signaled the others over.

Once they had all squeezed through the gap in the hedge (Renji had the most difficulty), they managed to cross the garden itself to the small servant's door Rukia had mentioned. Renji approached it, and broke the lock with the hilt of his knife. Byakuya waited a moment, then opened the door a hair, he looked inside, then nodded and gestured the others to follow him in.

Briefly, Byakuya exchanged a glance with Renji. Renji sighed and nodded. They were both thinking the same thing; the queen must have known they were coming. Why had they encountered no resistance?

They made it to the floor where the demonic brothers slept, and of course found it empty. In fact they had encountered no one at all this whole time. The inside of the castle was eerily silent. Yet they all felt the same thing; they were not alone. Renji was paying close attention behind them, and even he could not see anything that would provoke that feeling.

They were about to cross into an open area, when there was a flutter of lapis lazuli in a high parapet, like a butterfly's wing. While everyone's gaze was fixed that way, something terrifying happened.

"Good afternoon," said a resonating, yet strangely kind voice.

All heads snapped around, and Renji quickly urged the others behind him, though his heart was beating the fastest at the sight of their adversary.

Slowly, the giant wolf stepped from one of the bedrooms that Rukia had thought was empty. His chest was bare but for bandages, and in his right hand was his massive sword. He smiled at Renji.

"So my nose was not mistaken. I'm glad you survived as well, Huntsman. It is the eternal conflict, the wolf and the huntsman, isn't it? I thought it quite poetic at the time, so I'm pleased we should meet again."

Renji smiled darkly. "Under normal circumstances, you're right. I would have been dog food. I guess the fates intervened. But what do you say we save our epic battle for later?"

Komamura rested his sword on the ground in front of him, folding his hands over it with interest. "I'm not entirely opposed, but do you have a specific reason?"

Renji gritted his teeth. "There's two other guys even more dangerous than you. And I've got to get one of them out of the way, or the rest of these nice people will be in deep shit. You follow me?"

Komamura nodded. "I gather you refer to Yumichika's brothers, and if so, your tactical discernment is sound. Judging from the difference in your skills, I would imagine that you might attempt Ikkaku-san, and your dark-haired friend Kenpachi-san. However…"

"What?"

To their shock, the wolf's eyes now took on a hint of pity. "I will tell you honestly that Yumichika is the weakest swordsmen of the three, followed by Ikkaku-san and finally Kenpachi-san. But do you understand what I mean when I say this?"

"Speak plainly," Renji barked, though Byakuya was paying close attention to the wolf. "We don't have the time."

Komamura sighed. "Even without magic…Yumichika could kill either one of you five times over." Byakuya and Renji could not help recoiling a little at that terrifying thought, much though at first they refused to accept it. "Do you understand now? Even if you were in perfect health, which I gather you are not, you would stand no chance against Yumichika. Trying to take on either of his brothers, without an army at your back, would be instant suicide."

His eyes met Renji's with genuine compassion. "In particular, Kenpachi-san. If you give him the slightest opening, the slightest reason to think it's all right to kill you, he won't even give you time to wonder about the meaning of your existence. He is a man, lacking the human emotions of his brothers, who feels at home only when he is spilling blood. Things are even worse if he thinks you are strong. I assure you, you have not the slightest chance. Instead, you have brought this poor girl into a den of monsters, where she will surely die without you. Your strategic discernment would have been good, under normal circumstances." The wolf shook his head. "But even sacrificing yourselves in this situation will not save her. I only want you to know that, and also that I will not judge you or impede you if you wish to run."

Renji's anger was growing by the moment, and he was about to start shouting at the wolf when Rukia touched his arm. She was looking up at Komamura. The beast noticed her, and watched her curiously.

"Is it…Komamura-san?" she asked softly.

"Rukia!" Renji hissed, protectively.

He gave a soft smile. "Yes."

"Do you think Yumichika has a good reason for what he's doing?" she asked.

Conflict passed over the beast's face. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Your question tears my heart apart," he said softly. This surprised all of them. "The Yumichika I once knew, in our younger days," he added for their benefit, "was not much different in behavior than this Yumichika now. And I will tell you that no matter how much I sympathize with you, I will never betray Yumichika. But there is very little alike in his eyes between then and now. Perhaps…he is in need of saving that I cannot provide."

Rukia stepped forward. "Where did you meet him?"

"Rukia, we have to go," Renji muttered.

He frowned. "I'm not sure why it matters…"

"Please," Rukia went on. "I've always known that Yumichika was tortured about something. But if you say he was different when you knew him, then maybe you know what changed him. Please, if you know, would you tell me?"

Komamura seemed moved. Softly he said, "I doubt it will help you. Do you still want to know?"

Rukia's eyes were earnest, with no trace of malice. "Yes."

Komamura's expression softened, and suddenly he seemed no more than a big, calm dog. "I can't say for sure about the cause. But yes, he definitely changed while I knew him." Komamura looked away. "He was never kind, but he was defiant and beautiful. Now…all I see in his eyes is pain and hate. But…I supposed that is all I will be able to tell you."

"What?" Rukia asked. "But why?"

Komamura sighed. "You should have had someone watching your back."

In dread, all four whirled around to find none other than Kenpachi and Ikkaku standing there grinning and waiting for them.

"Excuse me, Princess," said the wolf softly, and the next thing Rukia knew, she was cradled easily in the crook of one of his arms.

Rukia peeped in surprise, causing Byakuya and Renji to whirl back around.

"You son of a bitch, Komamura!" Renji roared.

"Again you are deferential only when it suits you, wolf," Byakuya murmured, with hate in his voice.

Komamura nodded. "Forgive me, but I thought this might be helpful." He gestured toward the two brothers waiting behind them. "In fact, I have the same worry as you that Princess Rukia may be caught up in the battle, and no one here wishes her to die that way. Therefore, gentlemen, please turn and face your enemy, and rampage to your heart's content. Rest assured, you may entrust your heart to me."

Renji obediently turned back to the brothers, his blood boiling. "Do you think we have a choice?" he grunted to Byakuya.

The prince was strangely silent for a moment, and then Renji noticed his hand was trembling in rage as it gripped his sword hilt. "It would not seem so. As he says, I suggest you take the younger brother, and I the elder."

"Fine. And I assume you're going to take what that wolf said earlier as bullshit too?"

"Taking him seriously would not help us, but we must not break concentration for a single instant. If we die, so does Rukia. In that he was not wrong. Are you ready?" Byakuya drew his sword.

Renji flipped his knife around. "Any time. But…" he stopped there for a moment as there was a fluttering of fabric from the balcony above their heads. "Oh…shit," Renji pronounced, bitterly.

Yumichika gracefully dropped down from the balcony in a flutter of lapis lazuli silk, and this time he wore an exquisite Japanese kimono, his long, black hair now wrapped in an elegant shimada mage with many flowering kanzashi sticking out from it. The way he was dressed, it was even harder than normal to tell his gender. Yet not a single heart was moved by all his beauty. And all he had to do to strike terror into their hearts was fold his hands and smile.

"Remember what I said," said Komamura, behind them. "Don't give a single opening. Don't drop your guard for a single instant. And don't even imagine that they're taking you seriously."

Renji gritted his teeth, trying to bite down on his fear and let his anger rage about freely. "Shall we do this then?"

Byakuya nodded. With that, they began their attack.


	15. Chapter 15

Warning: violence.

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 15

Byakuya was beginning to realize how foolish he had been to think that he and Renji would somehow be enough to defeat all three brothers, never mind Komamura. But he couldn't think about that. All he had to do was concentrate on making a dent in their fighting force. That way, when his father's army arrived, they-

Suddenly, Byakuya felt himself shoved hard to the right. He stared down at little Yachiru, who was now facing Kenpachi, leaving Byakuya in front of Yumichika. Yachiru grinned up at him dangerously.

"Kids should stay out of it," she said, in a low voice.

Byakuya flinched. Then, unbelievably, Yachiru easily leapt to the enormous Kenpachi's shoulder in one bound, slipping right through his guard, and began pulling on his hair.

Kenpachi staggered around, trying to dislodge her. But as Byakuya was fully aware, she was almost impossible to catch if she didn't want you to. She just kept laughing, tying his hair in knots and pulling at odd angles.

"What the hell?!" Kenpachi cried. "What kind of fighting style is this?! It's really pissing me off!"

Ikkaku grinned at Renji. "Been wanting to do this for a while, Huntsman. You seem strong. Lucky me!" With an expression of delight, Ikkaku swung around his three-section spear-staff. "Be good and stay alive for at least ten seconds or so."

Renji hesitated, gripping his knife. He had thought about it on the way, but he was at a huge disadvantage against a weapon with as much reach as that. And fighting at close range with a crossbow was nearly impossible. Then again, Rukia was safely out of the way. Perhaps he had no choice.

Renji reluctantly put away his knife, and drew the huge claymore that Byakuya had given him. "Don't let me kill anyone on my side accidently," he pleaded with it softly. Then he raised it, and charged at Ikkaku.

Byakuya knew he could not afford to be distracted. But he was terrified by what he saw in the first few moments of Renji's fight. Renji was fighting well, in truth much better than Byakuya had expected. His style was wild but effective; or at least it would have been, under normal circumstances. But the scariest thing was how well he was actually doing.

Ikkaku used his three-section spear staff like it was a part of his own body. It moved so smoothly, it was almost impossible to predict what it was going to do. But Renji was keeping up. Byakuya wanted to call out to him, to tell him how ridiculous that fact was by itself, when Renji was inexperienced with a sword. But worse than all that was the boredom on Ikkaku's face.

He was grinning, like he had been when he first appeared, but his eyes were cold. He was enjoying the fight (somewhat), but he was just barely keeping his boredom in check. In fact, one might even say he looked disappointed. Byakuya had no idea why he was toying with Renji like this, but Renji had just the slightest chance of catching him off guard while Ikkaku was still playing. Was there any way he could tell him?

Yumichika daintily raised a voluminous sleeve over his small mouth to clear his throat. He smiled gently when he had Byakuya's attention. "Pardon me for interrupting, but Komamura was being extremely kind, as he usually is, and giving you some very good advice. Have you forgotten it already?"

Byakuya clenched his teeth. He raised his sword.

"It's a shame. I have great difficulty harming things of beauty," Yumichika said, with genuine regret. "And I have no qualms in admitting that you are, young prince. Even more than when I first saw you, and I had no complaints at the time."

"I dislike compliments from people who do not know me," Byakuya said in a low, calm voice.

Yumichika took a step forward, and Byakuya responded by shifting his weight to his back foot. Now he held Byakuya's eyes firmly, his mirth vanished. "Oh? And what makes you think I don't know you, little sapling?" he asked, his voice suddenly much lower than normal. "I know your father, I knew your mother. I know just how much of your life has been handled for you, from the time you were in the cradle."

Hate was gradually building in Yumichika's voice, as he continued to advance on Byakuya, who kept at a careful distance at all times. "And I know a lot about hiding one's emotions. Don't pretend to me that you're not terrified, right to the bottom of your…"

Suddenly, Byakuya's vision was filled with azure silk, fluttering before him. Then Yumichika's voice at a terrifying distance in the air above him. "…tiny, wee heart," he whispered, his hand already on Byakuya's chest.

BANG!

Byakuya was thrown backward into a stone wall, azure light crackling over a huge dent in his chest plate. Rukia screamed, and Byakuya managed to get to his feet at once so he wouldn't frighten her, leaning on the wall. He struggled for breath; his whole chest felt squeezed. He had no choice. He desperately removed his chest plate, which came off sticky with blood. The white silk he wore underneath now had a bloom of blood like a red rose, right over his heart. He touched it with a trace of fear.

Yumichika rolled his wrist, nodding to himself. "Your armor is better made than I thought. I'm glad I was cautious and used my non-dominant hand. I think I may have strained my wrist."

Byakuya panted, holding his sword and glaring at Yumichika. He couldn't stand the queen's mocking tone, as if he didn't even notice the massive damage he'd imparted on Byakuya. The fact was, Yumichika had leapt the distance between them, faster than Byakuya's eyes could follow, and had slipped through his guard to place a hand on his heart, while Byakuya was powerless to stop him. If Byakuya had been without armor, he would undoubtedly be dead.

Yumichika rested his hands inside the opposite sleeves of his kimono for a moment, thinking. "I think…it would be boring to kill you with magic. Perhaps I shall save that for your father, who is less interesting to me."

Byakuya immediately took a step forward without thinking. He did not like people threatening his father, idiot though he may be. Yumichika seemed to take interest in this. He smirked a little.

"Kenpachi?"

"Rrrgh…Jesus, what is it?!" he cried, still trying to disentangle a laughing Yachiru, who was now tying his hair in knots over his face.

"Do you have my sword with you?"

Kenpachi growled again, reaching behind him and pulling a sheathed, sea green jian sword, with a beautiful azure tassel. He tossed it with a grunt, and Yumichika reached over his head to catch it easily, drawing it in a fluid motion and dropping the sheath.

"Shall I be a sportsman and let you show me your skills first?" Yumichika asked, and there was a glint of delight in his eye. Byakuya could feel, even at this distance, the lust Yumichika felt for blood. Particularly his.

"I would be much grateful," Byakuya said politely, controlling his anger. "But I would like you to answer me a question."

Yumichika practiced some dance-like sword moves, disinterested with Byakuya's words. "I suppose, for the sake of the frankly beautiful way your blood stained that silk, I can allow you that much."

"Do you hate Rukia?"

That cause a crack to form in the beautiful mirror that was Yumichika's grace. His eyes widened as he watched Byakuya, and for the first time it felt as if Yumichika was the one on the back foot.

"What kind of question is that?" Yumichika asked softly, with a bitter smile. "Were you asleep all those times I tried to kill her?"

"It may be put down to your dislike of marring things of beauty, but I have the impression there are a thousand ways you could have killed her, if that was your intension," Byakuya explained.

Yumichika's jian was mildly shaking in his hand, though his expression hardy changed. "Now I have to explain myself to a little puppy like you?"

"I never said so. It was you who offered."

Yumichika's jaw tightened, somewhat ruining his beauty. "I think…I'd like to see your swordsmanship before I answer that question."

Byakuya put his guard up, knowing he was in the greatest danger of his life.

Rukia was trying to cry out, but Komamura stopped her. "It will not help them, my dear," he said gently.

Rukia felt her eyes stinging. "Komamura-san…why do you help him? Why do you help him destroy himself?"

Komamura looked down at the tiny girl in his arms, and was moved by her words, not for the first time. "You are a kind soul, aren't you? Do you mean that even after all he has done, you still do not wish harm on him?"

Rukia took in a breath to calm herself. "He is my only family. Even if I did hate him, I would never want him dead. But…for some reason, even after all that's happened…I can't hate him. It's his eyes. Whenever he is cruel to me, now or when I was growing up, I could see it wasn't me he was angry with. And I could be wrong, but I think it's mostly with himself. What do you think, Komamura-san?"

Komamura watched her for a long time. "That is…something that perhaps I do not have the right to answer."

Rukia frowned up at him, unsure what that meant. Suddenly, they all looked up as Byakuya dashed away from Yumichika, and broadly slashed Ikkaku across the chest while he was turned to the side, following Renji's movements.

All action seemed to stop. Slowly, Ikkaku turned to Byakuya with hate written on his face, and started half-heartedly swinging his spear staff. But then he promptly coughed up blood, as a bowie knife drove itself through his chest from behind. Renji promptly yanked it out, and Ikkaku swayed for a moment, then fell to his knees, and finally face-down on the floor.

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika screamed, and tears started running down his face.

Kenpachi took the tactical move of swiping his blade over his head to shear off the part of his hair Yachiru was playing with, and the girl tumbled to the floor. He didn't care about her anymore. He came up behind Renji, who turned just in time to bring up his sword to block a massive strike that brought him to his knees.

At that moment, Yachiru returned to play and distracted Kenpachi's vision enough for Renji to knock away his sword. Kenpachi growled and kicked Renji backward onto his feet, then picked up his sword for a slashing strike. But only one person noticed who was standing behind Renji, and would be cut whether or not Kenpachi missed.

Rukia was dumped on the floor. Renji was knocked to the side and fur and blood flew into the air. Yumichika's blood ran cold. His tears would not stop. He was terrified to turn around, but he had to know.

Komamura knelt over him. Even kneeling, he was still only a little over average height. There was no sign of pain on his face. He smiled at Yumichika as the sun smiles upon the green grass. Slowly, Komamura reached a clawed hand forward, and with gentleness that belied his size, wiped away one of Yumichika's tears.

"I'm so glad," he said, with genuine gratitude in his voice. "I always hoped, but even if it's only for a moment, I'm so glad I was able to see your face again. Do you know, Yumichika? You're even more beautiful than I remember."

Komamura closed his eyes for a moment. "One last thing," he said. "Even if you know this already, I would like to say…that I loved you so dearly. And always will." Once again, he caressed Yumichika's cheek so softly, and then the strength faded from his arm. He began to fall, and hit the floor with a loud thud, and a splatter of blood that arced out from the massive wound in his back.

Yumichika was speechless, his breath coming in uneven gasps. Then simple sadness, with the kind of honesty Rukia had never seen in him, took over his face, and he curled up on the ground beside Komamura. Komamura was still breathing very softly, but his eyes were closed. Yumichika gathered up his massive paws in his hands, sobbing almost silently.

"That's not fair," he murmured. "You didn't give me a chance to answer." He was having difficulty speaking now from his voice breaking. He stroked Komamura's head, enjoying the soft texture of his fur, much though it broke his heart. "You'll think it's silly. You'll think there never was a more foolish creature, who devoted himself to beauty because he couldn't have the only thing that was more important." He sobbed and pressed his forehead to Komamura's. "Don't die. Don't die, you big dumb wolf. I haven't told you…that I love you." Yumichika hesitantly placed a kiss on Komamura's cheek. And for a time, all was silent.

Then, though no one had noticed them before, leaves began to swirl around the castle. They grew into a whirlwind, which centered around Komamura and Yumichika, causing all the others to step back. The leaves became so thick that they obscured them both from view. Then they burst apart, and fluttered back to the stony floor. All eyes stared in wonder.

Rukia, in her foolishness, had a moment where she expected Komamura to turn into a prince. But no. That was not what they found. When the dust settled, two massive wolves lay curled against one another on the ground. Both seemed now healthy and at peace. Rukia's jaw dropped.

It was then that the golden wolf, Komamura, slowly helped the other wolf to stand. The other was looking around at himself, but surprisingly didn't seem to upset. Komamura seemed to grin at Rukia.

"Thank you," he said.

They all jumped.

"You can still speak?" Renji demanded.

Komamura sat on his haunches, and Yumichika joined him, nuzzling his neck. "Some of my people are gifted with that ability. I am originally from the forest guardian tribe, sometimes called the wolf-god tribe by humans, of the northern mountains. Being in proximity of a witch for hundreds of years has given us certain gifts. But I could wish no greater gift than this." He nuzzled under Yumichika's chin.

"Can Yumichika speak, too?" Rukia asked, fascinated.

"Probably not yet. Perhaps with time." Komamura faced Rukia again. "I cannot speak for Yumichika, but if he does gain speech again, I think he will return to you someday. And if he does, please do not be afraid. All his pain is gone now."

As if to reaffirm this, Yumichika rested his weight against Komamura. "Shall we go now?" Komamura asked him. Yumichika barked sweetly. "Goodbye, Princess," Komamura said, smiling a wolf smile. "You may call on me if ever you need assistance."

The two wolves followed the path to the garden, and were soon gone. That left Kenpachi, and everyone still had their guard up. But there really was no need. He was still for a moment, then scratched the back of his head. Then he sheathed his sword. He walked over to Ikkaku's body. Without a word, he started heading for the main gate.

"Wait!" Rukia called after him. He turned, and the others stared at her like she was crazy. Nevertheless she said, "Is it all right with you? Simply leaving like this?"

Kenpachi paused. "I have no reason to stay anymore. I'm not going to be as magnanimous as Komamura either. If I see you again, I can't guarantee I won't feel an urge to finish this fight." Then he turned, and he and Ikkaku were gone.

A moment of silence passed. Renji collapsed against a wall, breathing out a relieved sigh. "We're all…alive. I can't believe it."

The sentiment was shared by all, so not much was said after that. Byakuya didn't waste much time and walked over and kissed Rukia thoroughly. Renji sighed.

"It's a happy day, so I'll forgive you this time, but that's the last time you two get to pull that shit in front of me. I mean it," he said, though he was not very convincing.

Yachiru leapt into the air. "Fighting over! Dinner time!"

Rukia laughed. "That's right, we should bring everyone to the castle for dinner. And…oops…"

The others all followed Rukia's gaze to the grand hall, where an army, led by King Kyouraku of Sakha, was meandering into the castle.

The king tilted his head at them, gesturing around at the empty hall. "Did we have the wrong castle?"


	16. Chapter 16

I'll be doing one more chapter, as a separate story (since it will be very M-rated). Otherwise, please enjoy the conclusion. Thanks so much for all the reviews! They make my day!...

Shirayuki Hime

Chapter 16

Byakuya sat on the window seat in the lounge of Rukia's tower, waiting for her, eyes closed, trying to be as quiet as possible out of politeness. Across from him, Renji sat on the divan, arms folded, staring at Byakuya. The children had found various perches, and various methods for staring holes into Byakuya. Eventually, even the emotionless prince had to take notice.

He unconsciously tapped his finger on his knee several times, then he directed his gaze at Renji. "Is something troubling you?" he said, in a slow, purposeful tone.

"Me?" said Renji, innocently. "Noooo. What about you guys?"

"Us?"

"No."

"Couldn't be better."

"Peachy keen, dumbass."

"No."

Nova shrugged.

"Poo head."

Even if Byakuya ignored Yachiru's comment, there was still a general vibe of anger in the room, that even he couldn't miss. "Because it seems like there is something…"

"Yeah, or more like a whole lot of nothing," Hiyori snorted. "Two weeks!" she cried, holding up her fingers to show him.

"Now, now. These things take time, he is a prince after all. There's a lot to consider," Ishida said, which got a general mood of assent.

Then Rose contributed, "Plus he's about as useful on that subject as tits on a boar."

Huge assent this time, and Renji actually laughed.

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched, and then he turned to him, hoping for a translator. "Why are these children insulting me?"

Renji sighed. He sat back again, tapping his leg thoughtfully as he propped it up. "Well, I'd like to tell you but, one: I was taught not to interfere with such things, and two: it's sort of against my interests to do so, since I'd be just fine if things stay the way they are." He was hit in the back of the head by a fluffy pillow, which came from the decorative canopy over the sofa. It was where Yachiru had elected to build her pillow fort.

Renji counted himself lucky it hadn't been the mantle clock, which was nearby, then he sighed again. "But…it may have something to do with the fact that…we haven't seen Rukia getting fitted for any white gowns for any reason, for example."

"Oh," Byakuya said, thinking for a moment. Then with a perfectly straight face he asked, "So she wants a gown?"

Objects flew at him from all corners of the room and he had to raised his arms to block projectiles.

Renji was laughing. "You weren't wrong!" he said to Rose, who nodded, then pelted Byakuya with a seat cushion he'd been sitting on.

"You know he's been married before," Rose said.

Renji's jaw dropped. "What?! Oh, I'm getting in on this." He tossed a throw pillow.

"I'm ready!" said Rukia, opening the door. She found the room quite bare except about a meter around where Byakuya was sitting, which was littered with random objects. To his credit, he was doing his best to look stately about it. "What's…going on?" Rukia asked in confusion.

"Nothing," said the whole room innocently. Only Byakuya and Nova were silent.

Yachiru landed one last shot with a pillow, then she grinned happily at Rukia.

While removing the pillow from between his head and shoulder, Byakuya addressed Renji quietly, "That girl is eighteen years old. Who brought her up exactly?"

As they stood, Renji elbowed him hard in the ribs, though tried to make it look subtle. "They're all orphans, you ass."

Byakuya accepted this latter form of abuse as understandable, but he still didn't know why the others were mad at him.

Byakuya had invited everyone for a day out riding with himself and his father. He had to admit Rukia looked charming in her own nation's attire, which, as the children suggested, she had been wearing for the last two weeks. Though he would never say so, he was a little depressed that she hadn't worn the damask dress since that day.

After the battle, Rukia's first order of business was to thank the Sakhan army for their help, and offer them food and lodging to make up for the effort. Byakuya was horrified that his father took an immediate liking to Rukia, and sought out any opportunity to talk with her.

But no sooner had the news spread of Rukia's victory than the hall filled with servants who came, some with tears in their eyes, to apologize and welcome Rukia home. Many came just to touch her and tell her that they never missed her father when she was around. Then Rukia was crying too, saying she'd never been so happy to hear anything in her life. Byakuya did catch her looking once or twice toward the garden, where Komamura and Yumichika had gone. But that was an issue for another day.

The first week after their battle, Byakuya and (unfortunately) his father had stayed on at the castle, under Rukia's invitation. But then Byakuya insisted they were intruding too much, and forced his father to leave with him. Kyouraku was depressed for days afterward that he couldn't see "Rukia-chan" anymore. After that, Byakuya and Rukia had corresponded via letters, and this was his first time back in Magadan.

As they walked down the stairs, he asked, "Are you planning on having the coronation soon?"

Rukia blushed. "Oh, that. Well…we sort of had an informal one already. I don't think we need all the fanfare."

Byakuya stared at her. "What do you mean by 'informal'?"

Renji coughed and replied, "She went out into the town and said hello to some people."

"In what way is that a coronation?" Byakuya asked, with a trace of anger.

"Well…everyone knows I'm queen. Isn't that what a coronation is for?"

"Not in the slightest," Byakuya replied immediately, causing Rukia to blink in surprise. "With Yumichika's disappearance, that would automatically make you the monarch of this country. This should be common knowledge already. Even if it wasn't, a coronation is a representation of power, an expression of your country's pride, a chance to create a sense of community and celebration countrywide. The last thing it is meant to do is inform anyone of the fact that you are queen."

"Oh…" Rukia murmured. "Now that you say that, it seems obvious."

Byakuya nodded. "My father and I can help you prepare."

Behind them, Hiyori muttered, "Where did he learn to talk to girls?"

"He didn't," replied Hitsugaya, not trying as hard to quiet his voice. "He sees everyone as soldiers or subjects. He's a pitiful man."

Byakuya closed his eyes and gripped his sword hilt in annoyance, while Renji snorted and Rukia glanced at the children in disapproval. At the stable, they found Kyouraku talking jovially with the stable master, Hisagi. He waved when he saw them.

"Everyone!" he said. "Hisagi-kun prepared something special for the children! Come see!"

Hisagi blushed heavily when he saw Rukia. Though Rukia herself was the only one who didn't know, their shy stable master had always had a bit of a crush on her. Regardless, he showed them to a large hay wagon, which the children immediately jumped on and started playing around.

"Of course, Your Highnesses may use your own mounts, or choose any you like from the stable," said Hisagi, to Byakuya and Kyouraku. "And Abarai-dono, I have prepared Zabi for you. Your Highness," he said, softly to Rukia, lowering his head to hide his blush. "I have prepared the pearl mare, Shirasode, for you. I hope she will meet with your approval."

"She's my favorite, thank you Hisagi-kun," Rukia said, smiling.

Byakuya frowned. He stepped between them and gestured toward the waiting horses. "I'll help you on," he said.

Shaking his head, Renji muttered, "He is so clueless."

Kyouraku came up to him and added conspiratorially, "You would never believe what he was like as a child."

Renji gained an evil grin. "Really? You'll have to tell me all about that, Your Highness."

They departed once everyone was saddled up and ready. Hisagi hitched up a draught horse, rather morbidly called Kazeshini (who was in fact a war horse, but was the one Hisagi knew best and was also the biggest), and they set off on a road that led through the river valleys of Magadan. While Byakuya and Rukia headed the party, Kyouraku hung back with Renji and the children.

"Has he asked her yet?" he asked quietly.

"What do you think?" Hiyori complained, rudely gesturing at the two of them.

Rose shook his head disapprovingly. "And of course Rukia-chan is too polite to bring it up, although I'm sure she wants him to."

"Stupid boy," Kyouraku muttered, watching him.

Renji hung back and asked interestedly, "Is it true he was married before?"

Kyouraku sighed. "Yes. Hisana-chan. A lovely girl. I'm ashamed to say I disapproved of the match, since she came from no wealth and next to no nobility. But he fell in love, there was nothing his mother or I could do. Then the poor boy lost his mother and his wife within just a few years. If I had to guess why he hasn't said anything, that would be it."

Everyone was silent for a time, all feeling a bit churlish for their behavior. "I guess he doesn't really let that stuff show," murmured Renji.

"Not anymore, no," Kyouraku agreed. "I think after Hisana-chan, he tried to make it up to me by becoming a resplendent prince, the best he could be, in his mind anyway. He was already controlling his anger well when he met Hisana-chan. Her presence brought out the best in him."

"Controlling his anger?" Renji repeated, skeptically.

Kyouraku shook his head, chuckling. "Oh, you wouldn't believe what a snotty child he used to be. I say 'snotty' because I love him, but I can tell you my servants have called him much worse." Kyouraku's shoulders were shaking with laughter. "My servants are very honest, but even so, the things they said…ha ha ha!"

Everyone started laughing, though they still didn't quite believe it. "What did he used to do?" asked Rose.

"Good question…well once, for example, and keep in mind he was very small at the time, a sword master told him he was doing something incorrectly, and that boy just stared him down and insisted that the sword master was the one who was wrong, and then we couldn't get him near the fencing arena until we found a new teacher!"

The others burst out laughing. "I can picture that!" Hiyori cried. "When you think about it, he hasn't changed that much, ha ha ha!"

Without anyone noticing, Byakuya had come back a few feet in front of his father, and had heard most of what they were saying. The air started to grow eerily still as they noticed him. He had left Rukia riding ahead, so for a moment he revealed his more petulant self with a very subtle yet terrifying glare that slowly passed over them. Most shivered.

"You will say nothing to Rukia," he said simply. There were some hesitant nods, and then Byakuya looked them over once, and calmly returned to keep pace with Rukia.

After a general sigh of relief, Ishida addressed Kyouraku, "You've got it rough, Your Highness."

Kyouraku was tearful. "Right?"

They had a nice ride, went back to the castle and got ready for dinner. Finally, Renji pulled Rukia aside at one point to find out what was really going on.

"So," he said, folding his arms and leaning back on a wall.

"Um…so?" Rukia asked.

Renji sighed. "It's none of my business, but I just wanted to ask once. Do you want to marry that boy?"

Rukia went bright red. "Do I…oh…" Renji merely waited silently for her to get over her embarrassment and figure out a satisfactory answer. Eventually, Rukia's blush increased. She lowered her head.

"I'll take that as a ''yes'," Renji grumbled, which was met with a very small nod. "I see. In that case, might I ask what could be the delay? Of course, you're allowed to take your time. In fact I have no problem with that," he added under his breath. "But from an outsider's perspective, it doesn't really seem to me that you want to wait."

Rukia shifted her hands hesitantly, watching them, and grew somewhat somber. "I don't…really want to wait."

Renji nodded. "Good girl. Well then?"

Rukia wrung her hands some more. "He was very kind to say he loves me." That already had Renji's hackles up, because the implication was that he didn't actually feel it, he'd just said it. "But that doesn't mean he wants to marry me."

Renji's anger reached a boiling point. "Rukia…do you mean you'd…?!"

She waved her hands. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant! I meant that I'm happy to stay his friend." Now suddenly a single tear fell down her cheek, though she didn't notice. "The fact is…if he wanted to marry me, I'm sure he would have said something by now." She gave a forced laugh, breaking Renji's heart. "You've probably heard about Hisana-san. He fell in love and asked her to marry him right away, even though there was such a huge class boundary. We're equals and yet he…"

She was unable to continue, merely smiling subtly as a few more tears dripped down her cheeks. Renji couldn't take this. Slowly, he gathered her up in his arms. He could tell she was really upset because she didn't even get embarrassed, she just held onto him gratefully. And he knew that was all he could do for her right then. Aside from kicking Byakuya's teeth in, as soon as he got the chance.

Which came sooner than he expected. He happened to lift his gaze, to find Byakuya standing in the doorway of the small room Renji had taken Rukia to. Evidently he'd come looking for them when Rukia didn't return. He and Renji looked at one another for a long time. Then Byakuya took a step backward, his gaze passing to the side, and turned and left. Renji's jaw tightened.

"Rukia," he said, and gently pushed her away. He cupped her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. "He's going to come around. He loves you very much, and wants to spend his life with you. Don't you worry."

Rukia nodded gratefully, though it was clear she didn't believe him. Then Renji gritted his teeth, and walked out hastily. He caught up to Byakuya after the prince walked out to the terrace for some air.

"You've got a nerve," Renji barked, as soon as they were alone.

Byakuya glanced back at him with an unreadable expression. Then he looked away. "I apologize for intruding."

"Are you stupid? What do you think we were talking about in there?"

"It's none of my business," Byakuya answered immediately, and there was some bite in his tone. He walked down the terrace steps to the gravel pathway. Renji followed him with a growl.

"If you'd listen, it is very much your business. Did you see that she was crying?"

"I can think of many reasons why she might do that. It has been a tempestuous time for her."

"You're ignoring a pretty big one."

Byakuya stopped walking. He lowered his head, and it was clear he was just holding back his anger. "I don't understand what I've done wrong. Even my father is criticizing me, yet no one will explain what the problem is. This should be a happy time," his volume grew lower at the last part.

Renji watched him for a moment, then sighed. "I can tell you why no one wants to tell you," he said, softly. Byakuya turned to look at him. "It's because it's something you're really supposed to figure out for yourself. But in this situation, I think it's better if I ask you directly. Do you want to marry Rukia?"

Byakuya went totally still. He watched Renji for a time, and Renji could just barely see the emotions swirling under the surface. Finally, his eyes flicked aside. "I don't know that I have the right to answer that question."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Byakuya merely turned away again.

Renji's jaw muscles worked. "Maybe I'll guess then. You're not sure she loves you, or you don't think you're worthy of her. Am I right?"

"If you remove the 'or'," Byakuya muttered.

"Fine. Well let's address the second one then, because the first one is so stupid I'm not even going to discuss it. Is it the fact you were married before?"

Byakuya didn't answer, but his fists did tighten.

"The fact that you more or less rejected her once already?"

Still no answer.

"Or the fact that you're kind of an ass, and she's an angel?"

Byakuya looked away, and Renji had his answer.

"Well. Forgive me for saying so, but wouldn't you say all these other worries can be resolved in the first one?"

"If she loves me, you mean?" In reply, Renji merely folded his arms. Byakuya looked away again. "No. That wouldn't change anything."

Renji threw his hands up with a huge sigh.

Then Byakuya addressed him with rare emotion. "I don't think you understand, although you should. You've struggled with similar feelings, but you were confident that she didn't love you. And you had a very good reason why such a match would be impossible."

"Hey…" Renji muttered, feeling uncomfortable.

"My conscience tells me it is impossible. It is made doubly difficult by the fact that it _is_ possible, and no one would condemn me for it. Yet I cannot erase my past. I can try to change who I am, but I doubt I will succeed. What can you say that will convince me that I am a better match for her than anyone else?"

Renji looked hard at him, and chose his word carefully. "Before I came to find you, Rukia was trying to tell me that she didn't mind staying your friend." Byakuya's anger faded. "She tried, but tears stopped her." Byakuya gritted his teeth and looked away. "That's one reason. But here's a bigger one."

He walked closer and placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder without looking at him. "I never wanted to tell you this, because I don't like losing in this area. But you're here. You're telling me these things. Do you know what that means?" Byakuya didn't seem to know, so Renji continued. "What it means is that you're putting Rukia's happiness above your own." He paused for a moment, his own chest aching as he said words that would part Rukia from him forever. "And since this is coming from me, you can believe it when I say…that I couldn't wish any more from a husband for Rukia than that."

Byakuya's lips parted. There was a moment of tense silence between them, then Byakuya took a step forward. Then a few more. Then he ran back into the castle. Renji merely rubbed the back of his neck. "What's wrong with me?" he murmured.

Few people knew that for several weeks now, in Byakuya's pocket there had been a small, white box, and inside that box was a ring. When Byakuya entered that room and found Rukia, it was in his pocket. And when they returned to the rest of the group, both their eyes were red and Rukia's cheeks moist, and that ring was on Rukia's finger.

So the coronation was delayed a bit as both kingdoms prepared for a royal wedding. The ceremony was held outdoors, in a glade several hundred yards away from a certain cottage between their two kingdoms. Byakuya dressed in his country's military attire, a high-collared black uniform with a pale pink sash, and his hair down. Rukia's dress was a simple white kirtle, with a low, fabric belt around her hips which was also white. Around her neck and shoulders was a collar of bright white down feathers. The ceremony was beautiful, and just about everyone cried. None louder than Kyouraku, who could not be understood from crying too much.

Towards the end, some people noticed two enormous wolves, and at once got Rukia's attention. She and Byakuya went over to them, Byakuya mostly because he wanted to protect her, and still wasn't sure about those two.

No one said a thing for a time. Then, Yumichika faced Rukia, and lay down in front of her, putting his head on the ground. In the wolf world, Komamura explained, that was the deepest form of apology. Tears flowed freely down Rukia's cheeks. Then, in spite of her dress, she knelt on the ground before the huge wolf, picked his head up, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Yumichika cried.

After a beautiful reception and then a raucous party, finally everyone was sent home. For the first time, Byakuya joined Rukia in her bedroom. The next morning, they slept very late, and even then, woke up looking like they hadn't had enough. Yet their skin looked very healthy and refreshed. They received endless teasing for this, and unfortunately on such pale skin, their blushes were hard to hide.

So ends the tale of Snow White. And may tell you that they lived many years happily together, though not quite ever after. There were some difficulties, though in the end this only brought them closer. After all, they did more or less start out their marriage with seven children and an overbearing brother in law. Not to mention an emotional and clingy father in law. But their love for one another held them together, and as time passed, only grew stronger.


End file.
